Relics of Old
by Stormfalcon
Summary: The crew of the Andromeda have found a ship from a time that is long forgotten. From a time far in their past and they snag the ship and examine it. What they find surprises them all. Please R
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I don't own Andromeda and I am not making any money off this.

Copyright: I own Cadoris so ask me if you wish to use him.

A Relic found

The Andromeda Ascendent was floating through space on its journey to another world. They were hoping to stop at a port on a planet nearby and resupply since their supplies were running low. Dylan was in his quarters reading a book when over the speakers he heard Rommie say, "Dylan I think that you should come to the bridge. My sensors have picked up something."

Dylan put down his book and went to he main deck where the crew was already assembled waiting for him. It always seemed to be that way though. They were always ready and he was glad for that. They were a good crew and he owed them a lot even if they didn't think he did.

"What have you picked up Rommie," Dylan asked as he stood there watching the screen. 

"I have picked up a ship that is older than what should be possible," Rommie said.

"What do you mean," Beka asked.

"The ship my sensors have picked up is about three thousand years old. It is covered in ice and it seems that it has floated in space for most of that time," Rommie answered Beka.

"Well let's pull it in and look at it. If it is as old as you say Rommie then it is an antique and is worth a lot of money. If nothing else we can use it to get us supplies," Dylan said.

"Um Dylan if it is that old then it would be nice to keep so that I can you know examine it and maybe make another one," Harper said.

Beka used the Maru and retrieved the ship. They put it in the docking bay of the Andromeda and everyone gathered around to look at it. It was covered in ice as if it had been orbiting a place where the air was colder than could be expected of a single place. If anyone had been on the ship they were dead.

"Dylan I don't think that this is a good idea. There may be a good reason that no one has picked this up before us," Tyr said.

"You could be right Tyr but it is a antique. There are no ships like this around anymore unless you find them in a museum," Dylan said.

"Harper let us know when the ship is thawed out since there is no way that we can open it with a foot of ice coating it," Dylan said as he turned and left.

*****

"Dylan everyone the ship is thawed thanks to yours truly the amazing Harper. I have accomplished the thawing procedure and I think that you should see this," Harper called over the speakers to the rest of the crew of the Andromeda.

The crew of the Andromeda went down to the docking bay where the ship was and there they found that the ship was indeed thawed out thanks to Harper who was known to boast a bit. The ship was like nothing that they had ever seen before. It was more like a spire than a ship and it was white and gray. Along the sides of it in large letters were USA. As they looked at the ship they all knew that it was indeed a Relic. 

"Guys this ship is amazing. It is so old and the technology so old that it is amazing that the thing could even fly. Also as you can see it has the name of the creators on it, which is USA," Harper said as he ran his hand along the hull of the ship. He was imagining what they would get for it since it was the original article of a time long gone.

As he was speaking Trance walked into the open hatch of the ship. She was curious as to what it looked like inside and she really didn't think that Harper or the others would mind. As she walked around inside of it she found a room that had a door to it that was closed. She figured that Harper hadn't made it that far and decided that she should look for him.

She opened the door and went inside. It took a few moments for her eyes to adjust and then she saw it a block of ice in the middle of the room. The room itself was still cold and the block of ice was frozen to the floor of the ship. She moved forward to look at the block of ice and when she neared it she inhaled quickly in surprise. There was a man frozen in the block of ice.

Trance turned and hurried from the room and the ship. As she emerged from the ship she heard Rev ask, "Where is Trance."

"I'm right here," She said as she emerged from the ship and walked over to where the group was. 

"Where were you Trance," Dylan asked as he looked at her and noticed that she was breathing a bit heavy.

"I was inside the ship. I was curious to see what it looked like inside," Trance said as Harper looked as if he was about to say something and she didn't want him to say what she thought that he was going to say. "I was looking around and I saw a man frozen in a block of ice."

"What that is impossible. He would have thawed by now even floating in space," Harper said as he went to the hatch and decided to have a look for himself.

"Are you sure that you saw a man," Beka asked skeptically.

"Yes I am sure. He looked like he was peaceful just laying there," Trance said as she reflected on what she had just seen.

At that time Harper emerged from the ship and was scratching his head as he said, "Trance is right. There is a guy down there that is frozen in a block of ice."

"Well is there any chance that the man could still be alive like if he was cryogenically frozen," Dylan asked.

"It is a possibility and if he was then that could be great. He could be from the time when this ship was built and we could learn a lot about ancient times," Harper said excitedly. 

"Well let's get him to the med lab then," Dylan said.

It took them all to drag the block of ice out of the ship and to get it into the medic lab. Once there they let him thaw normally with a little help from one of Harper's machines that he assured them would speed up the process without hurting the man in any way.

"Trance I would like you watch over him. Once he is thawed out let us know and then we will go from there," Dylan said.

"OK Dylan," Trance said as she took a seat and started in for a wait.

*****

Trance had been watching the man thaw out and he did a bit quicker than they had expected. Once he was thawed out she was surprised to find that frozen with him was a large bag that was full of other old relics. They opened the bag and found swords, knives and other such weapons.

At the moment Harper was playing with one of the swords cutting the air. Dylan was looking at the man whom they had decided to strap down just in case he woke up and was in a very bad mood. Beka was drinking a cup of coffee while watching Harper have fun and Tyr was thinking that Harper was an idiot for trying to kill himself with such a primitive weapon. Rev was looking at the man as well as Trance. They were wondering about.

The man was huge even bigger than Dylan himself. The man if he was standing would be about six and a half feet tall. His hair was white from being frozen with dark blue highlights that contrasted greatly with his other wise white hair. He weighed in at about two hundred and forty pounds of pure muscle. His eyes were closed and so they couldn't see what color they were.

"Well what do you think Dylan should we sell him as well," Tyr asked in his practical tone.

"No at least not until we know if he is alive for sure. If he isn't then yes we will sell him for it is money we need and not bodies," Dylan said.

"I don't think that is altogether nice to say Dylan. The man we aren't sure if he is dead and you are already talking about selling him," Beka said.

"Beka we have to be practical here. We need money and he will get it for us if he is dead. I don't want to do it but it is better to do that than have him on the Andromeda since he can't do anything," Dylan said.

"Dylan at least let me say a prayer for his soul if you are thinking about selling his body," Rev said hoping Dylan wouldn't refuse.

"Very well Rev you may. I will be in my quarters. If any of you want to stay and see if he comes to you are more than welcome," Dylan said as he strode from the room.

Rev walked over to the man and said his prayer thinking that everyone needed their soul and the best way to keep it was to have someone care about them enough to light their way to the Divine with a prayer. After that he left and shortly after that even Harper, Beka, and Tyr left but Trance stayed. She had a feeling that the man would come to. She didn't understand the feeling but it was there.

*****

Pain was that he felt to start with. He was in a black void and there was nothing but pain. Then slowly he started to make out other things such as light and the presence of other people. He heard a man and a woman arguing over whether to sell him or not. He heard a rough voice say a prayer to something called the Divine for his soul. He didn't know anything about that. 

He heard a few people leave and then he felt the presence of someone close to him. He heard a machine and then he heard a voice say sweetly and in a voice that he swore was that of an angel, "still no change. There are vital signs but they are not showing that he is coming to. Please come to so that we don't have to sell you."

He just lay there not sure whether he should let her know that he was awake or not. He just wasn't sure and that was something that he hadn't been in awhile. As he lay there though he heard the machine start up again and then he heard the woman make a small sound. 

"You are coming around because now you have vital signs," the woman said happily.

The man didn't know what kind of technology they had but it must be impressive in order to tell that he wasn't dead which is what he wanted them to believe. He heard then a voice that sounded like the woman's come over an intercom and it said excitedly, "Dylan, Beka, everyone I think that he is coming around. We have vital signs now."

Shortly after that statement he heard people entering the room and whispering and then he heard one person walk over towards him and stand at his side. "Dylan I still think that we should sell him," the man's cold neutral tone of voice said.

That was when he had decided that enough was enough and he opened his eyes and glared at the group of people. Of course what he saw surprised him quite a bit. He saw a man dressed in black with long hair and a face that wasn't altogether unkindly. He saw a short man with a metal thing on his neck who seemed to be a fun kind of person. He saw a woman who was tall with blonde hair. Her hair was a little over shoulder length and had brown in it. He saw a creature was all he could call it. It had brown fur covering it and long claws on each of three fingers. It had large ears and a very messed up face in his opinion. Lastly in that group he saw a woman who was a bit different. She had purple skin and had a tail. She had her hair done up in some kind of thing and it had sparkles in it. He thought that she was beautiful even though she had purple skin and a tail.

The man didn't even look at who was standing net to him. He had no reason to. He was still glaring at the people when the woman with purple skin looked over and saw that he had his eyes open. "Look guys he is awake," she said pointing and they all turned to look at him.

"Oh yes he is awake. This is great," the man with the metal thing on his neck said excitedly. 

"Yes Harper that is very observant of you," Beka said dryly.

"Fine be that way Beka," Harper pouted but had a smile on.

"Who are you and are you friends or foes," the man demanded in a voice that hadn't seen use in 3,000 years. 

"I am captain Dylan Hunt. These people here are my crew. Beka Valentine, Harper, Rev Bev, Trance Gemini and lastly Tyr Anaszai. We are the crew of the starship Andromeda Ascendant," Dylan said proudly and gestured at each person as he said their name.

"All right but are you friend or foe Dylan," the man growled.

"We are friends hopefully," Dylan said carefully not knowing if it was some kind of word trap to get them to admit something.

"Then if we are friends why am I strapped down like a criminal," The man said coldly.

"Because we don't know who you are and we didn't know if you would attack us if you came to," Dylan said.

"Why were you going to sell me then," The man demanded again.

Dylan was getting tired of this. The man was asking questions that he had a right to know the answers to but the man was still treating them like they were enemies and they weren't. "We thought you were dead and we needed the money that you would have brought us," Dylan answered.

"I see," was the all the man said as he closed his eyes.

"If you don't mind my asking who are you," Dylan asked.

"My name is unimportant but if you must know I am known as Cadoris," the man said without opening his eyes.

"Are you OK," Trance asked nervously.

"I am fine my lady it is just that I have no idea where I am at," Cadoris said with a hint of sadness in his voice.

"I don't believe you Dylan. We don't know anything about this man and yet you want to be his friend. That is foolish and will get you killed one day," Tyr said with his normal thinking.

Cadoris was tired of being strapped down and was tired of this Tyr saying things bad about him without even knowing him. Cadoris moved his arms slightly to test the bonds and found that they were weak. He heaved with all his strength and the bonds snapped like dry wood. He surged to his feet faster than thought and grabbed Tyr by the throat. 

"Now you listen to me. I am tired of you Tyr already and I don't even know you. I should kill you now but I wont because Dylan said that he would like to be friends. In order for that to happen though I need to know a few more things," Cadoris said as he tightened his grip on Tyr's throat.

"What would you like to know," Dylan asked.

"I want to know where I am outside of earth. I want to know what Rev is and what Trance is. I want to know how long I have been frozen and other such things," Cadoris demanded.

"We are not outside of earth," Beka said.

"Also if you tell us when you were frozen then we can tell you how long you have been under," Harper said.

"I was frozen in the year 2030," Cadoris said.

They each looked at each other and it was Dylan who said, "You may want to sit down for this Cadoris. You have been frozen for nearly 3000 years."


	2. Life's changes

Disclaimer: I don't own Andromeda

Copyright: I own Cadoris so ask me if you wish to use him.

The Relic's Story

Cadoris let go of Tyr and sat down on the table. He looked as if he had just seen a ghost. "I have been frozen for 3000 years," was all he could say.

"It is not so bad. I was frozen in time for 300 hundred years and I have found a reason to live," Dylan said softly.

"There is a difference though Dylan. I have no family now and no friends. Even their names might have been erased from the ranks of humans in that time," Cadoris said coldly.

"I know how you feel," Dylan started when Cadoris stood up.

"You know nothing. You people from what I understand don't even know what the letters on the shuttle stand for. The letters USA," Cadoris said wanting to change the subject.

"Well you know I would like to know what those letters mean if you know what they are," Harper said with a glint in his eye thinking that he was about to learn something.

"Those letters stand for The United States of America. It was my country back all those years ago. We were one of the most powerful if not the most powerful country in the world," Cadoris said, as he was lost in his memories.

"Dylan I think we should find out what his crime was that they froze him and sent him out here into space," Tyr said with a hint of anger in his voice for he had never been so humiliated before in his life.

"You are right Tyr. Cadoris what was you crime that sent you out here," Dylan asked.

Cadoris gave a half-smile as he looked at them all. He knew once he told them they would try to subdue him for the authorities but he would tell them anyway. He wasn't ashamed of what he had done. He had done it for a reason and his reason was accomplished. 

"My crime was something that none of you will like. I killed a dozen of the world's leaders. You see I was an assassin for the USA and then something happened that threatened the whole world. The twelve most powerful countries thought that they were going to start World War III. If they would have then Earth would have been destroyed. I couldn't allow that to happen," Cadoris said as his mind went back over all those years.

"I assassinated those twelve world leaders. I killed them all including the President of the USA the leader of my country. On each body I left a note that said, If the next leader wants a war then his fate shall be death. There were no more talks of war after that and then I turned myself in," Cadoris said distantly for he was thinking back to that time and the pain he felt at having to kill them.

Cadoris looked around at them and saw the look of horror on the faces of Harper and Beka. The others masked their feelings well but he could feel that they were nervous around him. Beka spoke up and said quietly, "Why did you turn yourself in."

"My honor code made me. I killed to save Earth but their deaths were wrong and truly undeserved for they had done nothing but talk of war. I turned myself in to save my honor and to accept punishment for what I had done," Cadoris said.

"Ok so you turned yourself in to salvage your honor. What was your sentence then," Dylan wanted to know.

"My sentence was to be frozen and sent into space. I was to remain there for a dozen lifetimes, one year for each world leader that I killed. After that time if I was needed then they would find me for they said I would have to kill again. That would be the only time that I would be allowed to be thawed," Cadoris said.

"Ok so you have done your sentence and then some. I think that you wouldn't have killed without god reason and it sounds like you had good reason. I don't think that we will turn you over to the authorities," Dylan told Cadoris.

"Thanks but I have to say that even if you turned me over they wouldn't believe anything that you told them. I am a relic. A warrior of a time long past with weapons that are older than any of you. They would just laugh at you and say I have suffered enough," Cadoris said as a smile split his lips.

"I think that we should leave him alone so that he can rest," Trance said as she looked around at everyone. They nodded their heads and left the room leaving Cadoris to his thoughts and his misery. They didn't know that leaving him alone was a torture in itself for he had been alone for 3000 years.

*****

The crew was in the gym talking as Tyr was lifting his weights as he always did with his time off. "Well crew tell me what you think of the man," Dylan said in his Captain Hunt voice.

The first to speak up was Tyr, which was no surprise; "I like him. He reminds me of myself a bit. He surprised me, and that is a feat in itself. He is a warrior as well which is nice to see, and he seems to be a man with whom one could trust." His views surprised the rest of them for they thought that he would be angry and being held like a hostage by Cadoris. 

Tyr smiled at their looks and said, "You were expecting me to be angry with him for beating me but you are wrong. We Nietzcheans like a strong person."

Next to speak up was Beka who of course let everyone know her mind. They knew she would because she was just that type of person who would tell you what she thought with out without permission. "I think that the man is dangerous. He just seems to be dangerous to me. I also think though that with all of the problems that we have with enemies he might be a good addition to the crew. We can always use another person who knows how to fight," she said in her practical voice.

Harper was next and his voice was one that held a bit of pleading in it for reasons that they all knew. "I think that he would be good for the crew too. He seems to know things that have been forgotten for thousands of years. We can't just let the chance to learn from him get away. We need to find out about a time that we all think of as mere myth," Harper said with feeling. "I especially want to know what earth was like all those years ago. If it was a good place to live or if it was like I remember it now."

While they were talking about Cadoris he had a visitor.

*****

Cadoris was in the medical room still when a woman walked in. He knew the second she crossed the room though that she was not human but something else. She didn't have a scent and that gave her away. She was beautiful though he had to admit. He stood up when she entered the room and said, "Hello my lady."

She stopped and looked at him. She then said, "I have scanned you and you are not like anyone that I have ever encountered before. What are you if you don't mind my asking."

"I don't mind for I have come to terms with what I am. Before I tell you though would you please tell me who you are," Cadoris said.

"I am the physical representation of the AI of the Andromeda Ascendant. Everyone just calls me Rommie though," Rommie said to Cadoris.

"Well I have to keep my word now. I am a person who has changed due to many experiments that were done to me. Scientists used formula after formula on me trying to find one that would increase my abilities. Some of them increased my strength and others my speed and intelligence. Still others gave me enhance senses and other such things. I still don't know everything that had been done to me though neither did they. Every time they used one on me they wanted me to tell them if it worked. I lied every time because I didn't want them to use those formulas on other people," Cadoris said to Rommie.

"I see that is all that I really wanted to know though I would be happy to answer any questions that you have about anything," Rommie said.

"Well good because I have quite a few questions," Cadoris said.

*****

Back in the gym they were still talking about Cadoris and this time it was Rev who spoke up, "I am not sure what to think of the man. I said a prayer for his spirit and then he awoke when we all thought that he was dead for sure. It was as if he was just laying there listening to us talk about him. I think that the Divine had us find him for a reason and we should keep him around to see what the Divine has in store for us and for him as well since he is lost in this world much like you were Dylan."

"Point taken Rev and I see everyone's point so far. I too think that he would be a good addition to the crew. He seems to know things that could come in handy at times. He also as a man who lived in a time long gone would make a great addition to the Commonwealth. If he would join then that could show other worlds what we mean," Dylan said as he was thinking of asking Cadoris to join.

They had forgotten about Trance and she surprised them when she spoke up. "Guys I think that he is lost. Remember what you felt when you awoke Dylan imagine what he feels like knowing that everything that he knew is gone. Dylan you were only frozen in time for 300 years but he was frozen for 3000 years. You thought that you had change but he has seen change like you could only dream of. When he was frozen Earth didn't even have the ability to travel to other planets much less other galaxies like we can now. I think that we should give him time to adjust," Trance said feeling sorry for the man named Cadoris.

At that time Rommie came into the room and said that she had something to tell them about Cadoris. She told them about what he had told her and she told them about she found when she scanned him. They were all curious about him after that and they headed towards the medical facility where they had left him.

*****

Cadoris had found out about some of the different races in the galaxies. He had found out about the races Maggog and the Nietzcheans since one of each of them was on the ship with him. He liked to know about his friends as well as his foes because it gave him an edge over them.

Cadoris liked Rommie since she was so nice to him even though she knew nothing about him. She had helped him learn about this new life that he found himself in. He smiled to himself as he thought about it. He didn't really miss his old life since he had no one that he had loved or cared about. His family had been dead and his sister had married. He had been alone since that time learning the ways of the assassin and other such things. He had learned martial arts and other ways of fighting. 

Cadoris walked over to his bag that was frozen with him. It contained all his weapons and his outfit that he wore as an assassin. After Rommie had left he had went over to his weapons and pulled each one out of the bag. His swords were there and in perfect condition. His throwing stars were there and well as his throwing spikes. His knives and other weapons were all there.

He was not happy that someone had been playing with his sword but he could deal with it. He just wanted the people on this ship to feel that he was not a person who you feared. He was tired of being a man people feared. When he was back on earth his name made even the bravest man tremble in fear. He hoped that he wouldn't get that reputation now that he was awake again.

Cadoris lifted his sword and smiled at the titanium blade with its razor edge. It was his favorite weapon and he and it had been parted for too long. He needed to practice and so he reached down and picked up the blade's sister sword. He then moved his bag of weapons aside and took his shirt off. He then launched into his shadow fighting. He lost himself to the sing of his blood and the blades cutting the air. It was a joyous feeling for him and he loved every second of it.

He practiced and reveled in the feeling of free movement. It felt great to be able to do something. He then stopped and heard clapping. He turned and saw the crew standing against a wall. He knew that they had watched him practice but he didn't know how long they had been there. It unnerved him to know that he had lost himself so completely to his practice. 

"That was interesting to watch. I have not seen such a primitive weapon before or how it was used," Dylan said smiling.

"It may be primitive to you but it will kill a person just as easily as any gun," Cadoris said as he sheathed the swords in their scabbards. He turned back to the crew then and said, "Is there something that you wanted."

"Well as a matter of fact I do have something that I would like to ask you. I would like to know if you would like to join my crew and become a member of the Systems Commonwealth," Dylan asked in his formal voice again.

Cadoris cocked his head at Dylan. It was an old expression of his and he used it when he was ready to kill his opponents but here it seemed fitting somehow. Cadoris didn't think that there was any reason that he shouldn't join after all he had no life now. He owed his life to these people and so he felt obligated to help them in any way that they asked. He decided that joining them would be better than roaming space and so he said, "All right I will join you. I have nothing better to do."

"All right then we need to get you set up with a rank and a force lance. We also need to get you quarters. I will work on getting you a rank and Trance can get you a room," Dylan said.

"Okay Dylan," Trance said in her usual happy voice.

"Fine," was all Cadoris said?

Dylan and Trance left to do what they were assigned and then Tyr spoke up, "I look forward to sparring with you sometime."

"Same here Tyr. I hear you are one of the best fighters around and I wish to see if my old self can stand up against you," Cadoris said smiling.

Tyr then left the room as well. "Welcome to the crew on behalf of everyone. Tyr is just a little distant but once you get to know him you will like him I am sure. As for me I look forward to getting to know you," Beka said, then she too left the room.

"Your joining our crew is surely what the Divine wanted Cadoris. I am glad that you are with us," Rev said.

"The Divine? What is that? The only religion I was familiar with was Christianity. Also you said a prayer over me earlier what was that all about," Cadoris asked.

"You were awake at that time and our instruments couldn't tell. That is amazing," Harper said.

"Yes I was awake and I heard someone playing with my blade. I heard Trance talking and I heard all of you talking about selling me. I didn't allow you to know I was awake because then you would have changed the way you acted and the best way to find out a person is to be there without their knowledge," Cadoris said quietly.

"Well the Divine is what shelters us all. It watches over us all and let's us know that we have a reason for existence. I said the prayer thinking that you were not going to live and so I felt that you should have the chance to go to the Divine," Rev said and he left the room to think on what Cadoris had said about not knowing about the Divine.

"Well Harper ask me what you want to because I know you have a question it is all over your face," Cadoris said smiling.

"I was wondering what Earth was like when you lived there. Was it like hell or was it a good place to live. I was born there and I think that it is nothing but hell now," Harper said.

Cadoris sat down and decided that he was going to have a difficult time of telling Harper about how Earth used to be in the old days.


	3. Hell's Wrath

Disclaimer: I don't own Andromeda.

Copyright: I own Cadoris so please ask if you wish to use him.

Author's note: Thanks to all of you who have reviewed my story and to those of you who have read my story. It is nice to get feedback so that you know if you are doing something right.

Hell's Wrath

Cadoris looked at Harper and wondered what had happened to Earth. The way he remembered it was the way that he had always hoped it would be. He owed Harper an explanation of what Earth was like. So he said, "Well how was Earth all those years ago. It was a place that was beautiful even though man was already destroying the world. Oh they didn't realize it but they were."

Cadoris walked over and sat down with his legs crossed Indian style in front of him. He then looked up at Harper who had walked over and was leaning against the Medical table. Harper said before Cadoris started to speak again, "So humans were always destructive. I should have known that even though I didn't want to truly believe it. I had hoped that it was the Mogog that had caused Earth to be ruined."

"Who knows I was frozen for many years, but back to earth. Most people were nice and a person could get to know them with a little effort. It was the world leaders who a person had to watch. At a hostile action they would retaliate with force. Many innocents were killed because world leaders thought they controlled the world. I was trained as an assassin as I said before. I was the greatest in history. I had more than 200 confirmed kills in only three years. I killed more than that though when my life was in danger," Cadoris said shaking his head at the memory. 

"I was foolish at that time and I thought that I was doing the world a favor by killing the men I was assigned to kill. Of course the President was just leading me around like a sheep. Of course you don't want to hear about that so I will tell you about the land. It was beautiful. There were trees and forests even though they were diminishing. There were oceans and lakes that couples went to, to be alone. The air was clean in the country and a person could just dream out in the woods with the sounds of wildlife all around you and a breeze blowing through the trees," Cadoris said. He smiled then, as he knew that someone was outside the door listening. 

"You might as well come on in so that you can listen a bit easier," Cadoris said. He had known that they were out there because he could sense them. It was a side effect of so much testing on him.

The door slid open and Trance walked into the room. She looked a bit guilty for standing outside the door and listening. "I am sorry for listening without letting you know. I was just wondering what Earth was like. No one talks about it and I was curious. That and I came to tell you that we now have a room ready for you," Trance said in her beautiful voice.

"Don't be sorry. I don't mind talking about Earth and if you want you can listen as well," Cadoris said motioning for her to join them. She walked over and sat down next to Cadoris with her back against the wall.

Harper looked lost to Cadoris's words as if he was living in the days of old walking in the forests with the breeze on his face. "Earth sounds like it was once a good place to live. Now though it is nothing but a living hell," Harper said as he looked at Cadoris. "Please continue because I want to hear anything else you want to say."

So Cadoris continued to tell the two of them about Earth and what it was like to live there. "Cities dotted the land like ants and some of those cities thought that they could do whatever they wanted. These cities started a conclave of their own and banded together. In time though I was told to assassinate the leaders of the cities. It took me six months and then the cities were brought back under control," Cadoris said sadly. He had not liked killing those men since some of them had had families. 

"Perhaps though my favorite time of the year was winter. You could walk around and hear every little sound because with the newly fallen snow everything was quiet. Everything had a majestic look to it when covered in snow and the cities didn't look like a cancer to the land. A person could walk to a forest and that was the most beautiful of all with the trees covered in the snow and the animals playing like children in the snow. The mountains were also nice. If you climbed them you could look out over the land and see the forests below through the clouds. It was a wonderful sight and one that I will never forget as long as I live," Cadoris said. He then continued to tell them of the world and what it was like for another hour or so. He then decided that he needed some rest and they let him go to his room.

*****

It had been an hour since Cadoris had left Harper and Trance. Harper had gone back to his quarters and was thinking about what Cadoris had told him about the Earth of old. Harper wished that he could have lived in such a time and seen such sights if Cadoris was telling the truth. Harper felt that he was simply because Cadoris had no reason to lie about such things. 

Harper was just having a hard time picturing a desolate earth like he knew covered in trees with mountains and grass and lakes. It was just difficult to grasp and more difficult to picture. He just wished that he could see what Earth used to look like instead of the earth that he had been born to.

Harper wanted to swim in lakes and run in the forests and climb the mountains. He wanted to see what life was like and he wanted to experience it but he knew that he never would. At least never experience that on Earth. He might be able to on another planet that had such things but it just wouldn't be the same. He wanted Earth to be the way it used to be instead of the hell that it was now.

Harper knew that Earth would never be that way but he could dream. He did dream that night as he fell asleep. He dreamt of an Earth where he had a family of his own and Earth was like it had been described to him. Where his children could play in the snow and run across the grass without fear of being killed.

*****

Trance was in her quarters and she too was thinking about what Cadoris had told them about Earth. She walked over to one of the plants in her room and watered it as she thought that it could have possibly come from Earth. The plant could have been a member of the plants from Earth all those years ago. 

Trance wished that she could have walked through the forests during wintertime with the snow covering the trees. She thought that it would be nice to see all of the wildlife and to see all of the trees and plants. She loved plants and such. It was nice to think that a planet that was so bad now had at one time been kind of a peaceful place covered with beautiful trees and plants.

She was glad that Cadoris had told her about Earth and not told her to leave him and Harper alone like Tyr would have. Some of the others would have just ignored her and carried on like they didn't even know that she was there. She liked Cadoris because he treated her nicely. It was quite the change from the treatment of Tyr and even Dylan at times. 

She wanted to get to know Cadoris better. He was an interesting person with many secrets just like her and it was nice to know that there was someone else with secrets that everyone wants to know. She had secrets and everyone was trying to find them out. The problem was she didn't even know what the answers were to some of her secrets.

Those thoughts filled her mind as she lay down on the bed and fell asleep. Her dreams were ones filled with her walking through forests with animals coming up to her to be petted. She felt at home and it was a good feeling.

*****

The next morning when Cadoris awoke his first thoughts were of the life that he would never know again. He was an assassin and in a life like he must lead now there was no room for an assassin. He had been told about the Commonwealth and about Dylan's vision. He knew that there was no room for his old ways. He knew that he couldn't be an assassin and still be a part of the crew.

He rummaged through his bag that had been frozen with him and he pulled out his suit. It was black from head to toe with a white facemask. Cadoris had been known to his enemies as the Ghost as well as the champion of Death. He had truly been the best and now he was just on old Relic. Cadoris was thinking that he should have told Dylan that Cadoris wasn't his real name but his code name. The problem was Cadoris didn't know how to rectify that.

Cadoris put on his outfit and then decided that he needed to go meet his new friends. They were his friends he could tell. If they weren't his friends they would have tried to kill him by now, which they hadn't done. He wished in his old life he had had friends, but he couldn't due to who he was and how he had been trained. He had broken the rules though and had made three friends. They had been the only family that he had.

Cadoris walked out of his room and down the hall to where he had been told the night before was where everyone met to eat breakfast. Cadoris had never been one to eat breakfast but he decided to indulge his new friends. Cadoris had been a person who had ate when he could due to his assignments.

He was outside the door and he opened it and walked in. As he came into the room he noticed that there was no one awake yet or if they were they had already ate. Cadoris shrugged his shoulders and started to rummage around trying to find something to cook. It was going to be interesting to try and figure out how everything worked. While he was looking the door opened and Rommie walked in. 

"Are you finding what you are looking for," she asked.

"No I am not. I can't seem to find the food anywhere," Cadoris said as he opened another door and found nothing.

"The food is over there in that refrigerator. You will find the same foods that you ate I am sure," Rommie said as she pointed to one of the small doors that he hadn't opened. He opened the door and sure enough found bacon and eggs, which surprised him a bit. He looked at what she had called a refrigerator and decided that it was nothing like the ones from his time. This one was much more advanced in the way it worked and the way it cooled things. It also held more than should have been possible.

"Well Rommie I guess that I will be the one to cook since I am awake and no one else is," Cadoris said as he started to cook with the help of Rommie.

Everyone came in and they ate in shifts. As someone came in they ate and then left to do other things. Tyr was the first and he didn't say anything to Cadoris which didn't bother Cadoris that much. He was used to being alone though he wasn't a fan of it.

Next came Harper, Beka, and Rev who ate what he had cooked. Surprisingly they liked it which they thought that they wouldn't. "You know this is really good," Beka said. 

"Thanks it was a little skill I learned while in France. My target was a chef and in order to get close to him I became a student of his," Cadoris said.

After they were done eating they all had to go do things as well which left only Dylan and Trance. Dylan was the next one to come in and he was carrying a small baton in his hand. He looked at Cadoris and said, "Every member of my crew is given a force lance to let people know that you are High Guard. This one I am holding is yours. Once you take it the lance will be attuned to you and no one else will be able to use it."

Dylan extended the lance and Cadoris took it. "Thank you Dylan but I don't have a clue how to use this," Cadoris said as his hands closed on the smooth haft.

"It is easy to use. That button there fires the energy burst and that button there makes the lance grow to it's full size," Dylan said pointing to the two said buttons.

"Ok so maybe I should give it a try here in a little bit," Cadoris said.

"Why not know," Dylan asked.

"Because I am waiting for Trance to show up," Cadoris said.

"She won't be here because she never eats breakfast," Dylan said. "Why don't you and me go have a sparring match with Tyr since he has been wanting to fight you since he met you."

"Fine I will be there shortly, I just need to clean up," Cadoris said.

*****

Around an hour later in the gym everyone was gathered for they had heard the news that Cadoris was going to fight Tyr in a sparring match so that he could learn how to use his new force lance. They were all expecting a show and they were hoping that Cadoris wouldn't let them down.

They knew nothing of his training or the way he fought but they all knew that Tyr was a excellent fighter. In fact they were a little worried that Tyr wouldn't show any mercy to Cadoris. The fight was to be with the force lances so that Cadoris could learn to use his.

Tyr was already in place in the middle of the floor with his force lance extended into the staff. At that time Cadoris entered the room and was wearing a black shirt that was long sleeved and covered his neck as well. They didn't know it but there was a reason he was wearing the shirt. It was his sparring shirt and he always wore it when he was going to have a sparring match with someone.

He walked over to stand across from Tyr and Cadoris smiled and said, "When you are ready Tyr." Everyone was surprised by that statement because Cadoris had yet to extend his force lance to its staff length.

Tyr smiled wryly and swung his staff in a wide arc aimed at Cadoris's midsection. Cadoris stepped back with ease evading the attack. Cadoris stood still and waited for Tyr to attack again. Tyr charged in and was hoping to jab the end of his lance into Cadoris's stomach but Cadoris swayed aside and caught Tyr with a punch across the side of the head which sent Tyr reeling.

Tyr recovered and charged in not using the lance this time and instead punched for Cadoris's head. Cadoris took the punch and rolled with it. As he did though Tyr jabbed him in the chest with the lance. The air left Cadoris's lungs in a rush but Cadoris was able to recover his breath rather fast.

Tyr stepped back and smiled as everyone watched on. Tyr shook his hand while standing there though as if it had hurt to hit Cadoris in the face. Cadoris reached up and felt where his lip was split. He tasted the blood and smiled at Tyr and said, "You did good."

Tyr's smile vanished when Cadoris said that. He didn't know why it had hurt so much when he had hit Cadoris or why Cadoris had said he had done good but it made Tyr nervous. He swung the staff up from where he had the tip resting on the floor. The end whistled through the air and connected with Cadoris's head. Tyr had put enough force behind the blow that Cadoris fell back and landed on the ground. 

Cadoris reached up and felt the side of his head where Tyr had hit him and when his hand came away it was covered in blood. So thought Cadoris Tyr wants a real fight then that is what I will give him. Cadoris dipped the tips of his fingers into the blood on his head and drew a thick line above each eye that extended upward to his forehead. Cadoris then stood up and grabbed his force lance. He pressed the button to make it extend and then he set the staff twirling. Faster and faster he twirled it as he started forward. Tyr swung his staff for Cadoris's legs and Cadoris blocked it with his own staff. Tyr swung upwards then hoping to catch Cadoris off guard but Cadoris blocked that attack as well.

Cadoris was starting to enjoy himself. It had been too long since he had fought anyone and he was enjoying the feeling of the blood singing in his veins. Cadoris blocked all of Tyr's attacks and then decided that he was going to go on the offensive. He swung his lance and Tyr blocked the end with his own lance. Cadoris ran the end of his lance down the length of Tyr's lance until Tyr's fingers were crushed against his own lance. Cadoris then brought the other end of his lance around in a quick swing that connected with Tyr's side. Tyr doubled over clutching his side and Cadoris swung his lance again and this time Tyr blocked it right before it would have connected with his head. 

Cadoris was pushing with a bit of his strength and Tyr was having a hard time holding the lances away from him. Tyr kicked out at Cadoris's legs and hit Cadoris in the knee. Cadoris's knee buckled and Tyr disarmed Cadoris. Cadoris growled at Tyr then and stood up. He started towards Tyr when Tyr said, "You are beaten so just give up."

Cadoris snarled and launched himself at Tyr who swung his staff hoping to knock Cadoris out. Cadoris though caught the staff and pulled it out of Tyr's hands. The lance shocked Cadoris but Cadoris paid it no mind he was going to win the fight. He tossed the lance aside and charged in at Tyr who punched at Cadoris. Cadoris caught his fist and landed a punch of his own on Tyr's face. He then picked Tyr up and tossed him aside. Cadoris followed right behind him and landed a few more punches on Tyr who couldn't even block them they were moving so fast. As the last punch landed Tyr slumped to the ground unconscious bleeding from a split lip and from his nose.

"I win Tyr. Sorry about the beating but I had to show you that I never give up," Cadoris said as he walked form the room to leave everyone staring after him.

They carried Tyr to the medical ward and had Trance examine him. There was nothing that was seriously hurt but perhaps Tyr's pride when he awoke. Tyr awoke not long after they had examined him and he was in pain. "He can hit hard and he has little mercy it seems. He is a great warrior," Tyr said and they all knew those words for the compliment that they were.

It was not long after that they headed for the nearby planet of Tratin so that they could get supplies. They were on their way now with a new crew member and they wondered just what he would think of civilization now in the future compared to what he had known so long ago.


	4. Descent

Disclaimer: I don't own Andromeda.

Copyright: I own Cadoris so please ask if you wish to use him.

Descent

Everyone on the Starship Andromeda Ascendant was wondering about this man that they had found in a space ship that was older than anything on record. They were having second thoughts about selling the ship because it should go to a library or to a museum so that others could see it. 

The man though they had offered a place on the quest that they were all on and he had accepted his place among them. He had even bested Tyr in a fight, which was something to say since Tyr was one of the best. The man Cadoris was one who seemed to prefer solitude to anything else though he seemed to enjoy their company when they were around him. They didn't know why that was either but Cadoris knew. It was because he was used to being alone, that it didn't bother him whereas being around people was something new to him. He had a hard time dealing with being around people even though he didn't really want to be alone anymore.

After the battle with Tyr everyone had wanted to know why he hadn't surrendered. He had answered that when he had been trained there was no surrender. He had been trained to fight to the death and so no matter the odds he would do just that. It was a matter of honor with him and he would do as he had always done. 

They had then wanted to know what his life had been like and he had told them that his life was lived not in fear because he had learned to do away with both fear and pain. His life had been lived with death at his shoulder and guiding his very actions. He had said that if he ever failed in a mission that his family and friends would die and he would be forced to watch. It had been the only fear that he had ever known. "That is very sad," Trance had said and Cadoris had just shrugged his shoulders because it was his life. They could say what they wanted but he had lived that life and not them.

Now he had no family and no friends really. He was working on trying to make friends but it was a little difficult to make friends with something that looked like a mutated bear that could talk. He was also having trouble understanding Tyr because he would say things that most people wouldn't think were compliments but coming from him they were.

Out of all the crew the one that he found that he liked the best was Trance and that was because of her innocence. She wasn't innocent though but she still acted that way and it was refreshing to see someone who hadn't adapted to the harshness of the galaxy but had become what they wanted. She hadn't let the hardness of the galaxy shape her she was one who had shaped herself and was hoping it seemed to do some good in the different worlds.

Cadoris thrust the thoughts out of his mind and tried to focus on what they were doing. They were just entering a docking bay down on the planet. They had left Rev behind because they were not sure how the people on the planet would react to him. They didn't want him to get hurt or hurt anyone.

The rest of the crew had piled onto the Maru and had headed towards the planet. Beka was the pilot because she had insisted, "If anyone will be using my ship then I will be the one to pilot it. No one knows it like I do." So they had let her be the pilot which was fine with Cadoris since he had no idea how to fly a space ship.

They touched down without anything like a crash, which is what Cadoris had been expecting. Cadoris couldn't help it but every time he saw ships flying around when they were coming in for the landing he was having flashbacks to Star Wars and how they were shot down and no one ever seemed to live. He didn't like the image that brought up so he kept trying not to see any other ships.

After they landed everyone knew where they were going and what they were doing but Cadoris. He just followed them all around and tried to learn without asking questions because he knew they wouldn't give him the kind of answers he wanted anyway.

*****

"Well we need all of this and we will basically be broke after we buy it," Dylan said to his crew who were looking at everything that they needed. 

"Dylan why do we need all of that stuff," Cadoris asked having no idea what half of it was and having no clue what the other half was used for. 

"Because we have a way of attracting attention and getting things on the Andromeda, well . . . broke. We need all of these spare parts so that we are not left out in space floating around," Dylan said by way of explanation.

"Ok," was all Cadoris said since it was all he could say.

Cadoris helped load all of the parts onto the Maru and that was when he heard something that disturbed him. He heard a voice that sounded like Trance arguing with a man. Trance had went off on her own as had most of the others leaving Dylan and Cadoris to load all of the parts. Trance had said that she wanted to see if she could find a new plant to add to her growing collection.

She had left maybe an hour before but Cadoris was sure that he heard her voice not all that far away from where Dylan and himself were. Cadoris looked over at Dylan and said, "I will be right back I have to go check on something."

"All right Cadoris I could use a break myself," Dylan said heavily as he wiped his brow.

Cadoris walked away from where the Maru was and went down a corridor of the huge building that they were in. The building he was told held a lot of attractions for people and so that was why it was so big. This building housed the parts store as Cadoris called it and any number of other businesses. 

Cadoris rounded a corner in the building and came to a sudden stop. He saw a rather ugly creature that looked like a walking rat. He was short only as tall as Trance herself and he had a rather large man that was a Nietzchean. The man was holding Trance and had a gun pointed at her when Cadoris rounded the corner.

"Oh who is this," the rat man said in a weasel like voice.

"I am not important but what is important is that you have a friend of mine and I would like you to free her," Cadoris said without moving for fear they would get nervous and kill Trance.

"I'll tell you what human. I will free her right here if you give me yourself. You see I am into the slave trade and this little pretty thing would fetch a high price. You though would fetch an even better price for your size. So will you give me yourself so that your little friend can go free," the rat man said as he twitched his nose.

"So the universe changes and so it stays the same. There are still those who use fear as a weapon and those who use strength to rule those who are weak," Cadoris shook his head. "I had hoped things would have gotten better but it seems that I am mistaken about that. I will let you have me if you release her right now."

"Well I am not too sure about that. I am thinking that I can have you both and use you in the gladiator area to make a bit of money. If you don't go along with this new proposition then your purple friend here dies," the rat man hissed much like a rat would if it could talk Cadoris thought.

"This is too much you ask little rat man. I don't know what you are and I don't care. I want my friend released and I want her released now. If you don't then I will have to kill you," Cadoris said coldly to the man.

"You won't kill me and you will do what I say. You see I don't want you I just want the girl. I just like to make people think that they are important you see. I had you thinking that you could save your purple friend here and in reality you can't and I have no need of you unless you enter the gladiator tournament," the rat man purred.

"What is to stop me from killing you right now," Cadoris growled.

"What you mean besides us having your friend where if you move she dies. Well I guess this could keep you at bay," the rat man said as he pulled a small gun out of his clothes and fired it at Cadoris who wasn't fast enough to get away. The shot hit him in the shoulder and Cadoris hit the ground from the force of the blow. 

He looked up and saw the little rat man standing over him and he heard him say, "The name is Ray and if you want your friend then you have to win the tournament."

He heard them walking away and he called softly after them, "Trance I will save you." Cadoris then passed out for the gun was one that stunned only and didn't harm in any other way.

*****

"Hey Dylan where is Trance and our new boy Cadoris. Are they off together I wonder or what," Beka said slyly when she returned and noticed that Cadoris and Trance were not there.

"I don't know where either of them are Beka. I know Cadoris said he needed to go check on something and if haven't seen him since. I haven't seen Trance since she left with all of you," Dylan said.

"So you loaded all of this by yourself you are such a strong man," Beka said smiling.

Dylan smirked at that remark. That was when they saw Cadoris come stumbling down the hall. He came right up to them and he was not very happy. "What happened," Harper asked.

"I heard a voice that sounded like Trance and so I went to see for sure. What I found was Trance being held by some rat faced man and a Nietzchean. They told me that if I ever wanted to see her again then I would have to enter the gladiator tournament and win," Cadoris said as he stood in front of them all.

"A rat faced man," Beka asked.

"A nightsider probably," Dylan said. "Did he give you a name."

"He said that he was Ray and then I passed out. He shot me with something that made me fall unconscious," Cadoris said by way of explanation.

"A stun ray," Tyr said nodding his head.

"All I know is that I have to enter that tournament and I have to win. I will not let one of my new friends be hurt or anything like that. I will get her back no matter who I have to kill in order to do it," Cadoris said coldly.

"Are you sure we want her back," Tyr asked raising an eyebrow.

"I will do whatever it takes," Cadoris said again as he walked into the Maru to radio Rev. Cadoris needed his weapons if he was going to enter this tournament. Entering the tournament didn't bother him it was being forced to enter it that made him mad. He would win and then he would kill that damn rat faced creature.


	5. A Man's Honor

Disclaimer: I don't own Andromeda or it's characters.

Copyright: I own Cadoris so please ask me if you wish to use him.

A Man's Honor

Cadoris was not happy that he had not been able to help out his friend Trance even though he had no idea what kind of weapons the people had. It was not an excuse and he was going to have to live with his failure at not being able to save her. 

Cadoris was now decked out for battle and he was in the gym of the Andromeda. In the room with him was the rest of the crew along with Rommie. Rommie looked worried though Cadoris had little enough knowledge of the time he lived in so he couldn't be sure. All he knew was that in his day machines didn't have feelings and yet he felt that Andromeda was more than a machine and that she did indeed have feelings which would make her in Cadoris's eyes at least a living person who needed someone to care for her.

He was dressed in his black outfit and had the mask around his neck. He hadn't put it on yet and he wouldn't until he went into the ring to fight. He couldn't believe that even in the future there were underground fight clubs that people went to. He had never wanted to enter one but he would do whatever it took to make Trance safe. He owed it to her for not giving up on him when everyone else was willing to sell his body for science.

There were reasons that he never wanted to enter one and the main reason was that he was better than everyone else and the people fighting him would die. He had no wish to kill the men for trying to make a living in the ring and for trying to feed their families and so he had never fought in a ring as a gladiator. Now it seemed though that he had no choice but Cadoris at the moment wasn't concerned with his opponents his mind was set on helping Trance out.

"You can't do this Cadoris. You have no idea the opponents you will face and there is no guarantee that he will release Trance if you do win," Dylan was saying as Cadoris sheathed his swords and slung them over his shoulders.

"I can win Dylan and I must win. She is my friend and I will never desert my friends no matter what I must fight in order to free them," Cadoris said as he stashed a couple of throwing knives on his person. One down a boot and another on the back of his thigh where it wouldn't impair his movements.

"You are crazy you know that don't you," Beka said from where she was leaning against the wall.

"I may be. It may be that being frozen for 3000 years without anyone to talk to has made me a bit protective of my friends or it may be that I like Trance more than I am letting on. There are many factors at work here Beka but the most important one is that she is a friend and she is in need. If it makes me crazy to want to help her then I suppose that I am crazy," Cadoris said as he placed a throwing spike in the sole of his fighting shoes.

"I don't think that the Divine has such a plan for you Cadoris. I find it hard to believe that your life as you said will be filled with nothing but pain and death. The Divine has a plan for all of us and I don't think yours is what you believe," Rev said in his teacher voice.

"Listen Rev I don't know anything about this Divine all I know is that everything that I have ever known is gone except my knowledge about how to kill and the basic instinct of survival. I have my friends and my thoughts and yet it seems my knowledge of a past world is useless and instead my knowledge of killing is what is needed yet again. I think that the Divine is having a good laugh about the joke it has played on me Rev. I think that it is laughing if it can about how it has made one man a Relic," Cadoris said angrily.

"You know Cadoris you have this outlook on life it seems that says kill me. I mean the way you talk it is as if you don't care whether you die and I fell that is a bad outlook to have. I mean you don't get to meet any women for one if you are dead and you can't learn for another," Harper said in his happy voice.

"Boy aren't you the perceptive one. I don't have a death wish Harper it is just that I don't fear her embrace. She has been my only companion for more years than I care to remember. She is what kept me sane as I lay frozen," Cadoris said to his newfound friend.

"That is pretty bleak," Rommie said from her spot next to Dylan.

"I know but it is the truth," Cadoris said and the room fell silent at that statement. "I need to get to the arena and sign in or whatever I do." With that he left the room and the others followed him out. If they couldn't talk him into letting them hunt for Trance the old fashioned way then they would be there to cheer him on even though they believed that he was doing the wrong thing.

*****

Trance was scared about her current predicament. She didn't like the way the nightsider kept looking at her. As if his gaze wasn't enough there was the man's bodyguard who was a human and when he looked at her it sent a shiver down her back. He had a hunger in his eyes and she didn't want to find out what would satiate his hunger. 

She was uncomfortable because the nightsider was making her sit on a hard floor with nothing to use as a cushion. She was also a bit cold and she didn't know where she was at. Trance was worried that the nightsider would give her to the human man before he sold her but of course he had said that if Cadoris entered the tournament and won then she would be set free. She didn't really believe the nightsider but Cadoris would because he didn't know about nightsider's or most of the other races for that matter. 

The more she thought about it the more sure she became that Cadoris couldn't hope to win because he simply didn't know about he other races. He didn't know their strengths or their weaknesses. He was a man who had no idea what he was going to get himself into if he even entered the gladiator tournament.

She was worried that Cadoris would end up getting hurt trying to save her. That was when Ray walked over to her and knelt down to look her in the eyes. "You know even if your friend is foolish enough to enter the tournament and he wins I can't let you go. You are too unique and will bring such a high price in the slave markets. Of course we will go watch your friend since it will be the last time that you ever see him," Ray purred as his beady eyes sparkled.

"He will win and then you will be in trouble," Trance said but she really didn't believe her own words.

"Save me someone. I don't want to be a slave," Trance whispered to herself knowing that no one would come for her because they had no idea where she was at.

*****

Cadoris was looking around the coliseum and was impressed with the authenticity of it. It looked much like the great coliseum from ancient Rome where many a gladiator battle had taken place. He was actually enjoying looking around at the place. It looked as if it could seat many thousands of spectators and there was even a place for a very wealthy man or whoever was supposed to sit there. It was place where the emperor had always sat with his wife and others.

He walked over to where he was told he had to sign up. Sitting behind a large stone desk was a man who looked to about thirty. His face had a few lines and he was starting to gray at the temples but otherwise he looked quite tough and in good shape.

"I need to sign up for the tournament," Cadoris said as he walked up to the desk.

"What huh why. You are a human right," the man asked with a hint of wonder in his voice.

"Yes I am why," Cadoris said.

"Because no human has entered these fights in more than a hundred years. Those who entered the last time were killed with ease since they had no natural weapons and only certain weapons are allowed," The man said and then started to laugh at Cadoris.

"Why are you laughing," Cadoris asked. 

"Because you are going to die as easily as any other human," The man said and then started to laugh again.

Cadoris lost his patience at that and reached across and grabbed the man by the collar and pulled him close to Cadoris's face. "Sign me up. I will win and there is no other way about it. I am sure that antique weapons are allowed right. Weapons such as swords and knives," Cadoris growled.

"Yes swords axes and other weapons are allowed to be used. I will sign you up right away," the man stammered out nervously.

"What shall your arena name be," the man said formally yet couldn't hide his fear of Cadoris.

"Call me Darkblade. It is a name that shall strike fear into the hearts of my enemies. Tell me when my first fight is as well," Cadoris said and then smiled at the man.

"Your first fight will be later tonight at 10 o'clock. You will be fighting a maggog by the name of Rusk. He is a great fighter and I hope that you are as well for your sake," the man said as he wrote down Cadoris's name and put him in his bracket.

"I will see you later tonight," Cadoris said as he strode away.

The man couldn't believe that a human was going to enter the tournament. Humans rarely entered the tournament and for good reason. They were not able to fight with natural weapons like a lot of the other races. Only one human had entered the tournament in the last 300 years and he had been torn to pieces. The man hoped that this Darkblade would do better.

*****

"Can you believe that he is going to go through with this Dylan," Beka asked astonished when they had found out when he was to have his first fight.

"Yes Beka I can," Dylan said sadly.

"And how can you let him do it. He is just going to throw his life away for nothing," Beka fumed.

"I don't think so," Tyr spoke up. "He has to do this for it is a matter of honor to him. There is nothing that we can do to deter him and I respect him all the more for what he is doing. As for him going through with it I think that he could actually win. He fights like one of my people and that makes him dangerous."

"I just don't see why we are letting him do this. Is it a guy thing that only guys can understand. Is that why I am alone here in this or what," Beka demanded.

"Well Beka it could be a guy thing but it isn't. It is more like we understand why he is doing it where you don't. That and well we know that there is nothing we can do to stop him if he really wants to do this," Harper said.

"I just don't see how getting himself killed is going to help but I won't try to stop him because you all seem so sure about it," Beka said and seemed to Harper who knew her the best that she was pouting.

"We will just have to go and cheer him on Beka since it is the only thing that we can do," Harper said.

*****

It was time for the fights now and Trance found herself sitting next to Ray who was it seemed quite an important person since he had a front row seat. Trance had not wanted to come and watch the fights but Ray had insisted and since she was his prisoner she really had no choice. 

She had been given a beautiful dress of light blue that had a slit in the side to her mid-thigh. The dress had a low cut neckline and was made from silk which Trance had to admit felt good against her skin. She looked radiant in the blue dress which blended with her purple skin.

The nightsider had given her the dress because he was showing off his newest merchandise and Trance didn't even know it. It was his way of showing off her assets without letting her know of his plans. He noticed that many of his clients took to looking at her and appraising her which meant that the price he got for her would be very high indeed when he sold her.

He smiled then as he saw the human that had tried to save her come out into the ring. So the human had decided to fight how amusing the nightsider thought. He had told the human to enter because no human had entered in his lifetime and he wanted to see one get killed. It held a certain enjoyment for him and he was happy to see that the human hadn't backed out.

Trance couldn't believe that Cadoris had entered the tournament. She was glad that he had but she was almost certain that he couldn't win since he was after all just a human. She thought that he looked like he wasn't ready to fight because he was just standing there relaxed and she thought that he would be surprised by his enemy. She wasn't a warrior though and so didn't really know much about how to fight.

As she watched she saw Cadoris turn and look directly at her. He smiled then and bowed to her and then turned back to the arena and waited for his enemy. Trance couldn't help but smile even though her situation really didn't warrant a smile at all. She liked Cadoris even though she hadn't known him for all that long. She also found herself thinking that he was attractive which she really decided she shouldn't be thinking about at the time.

She wondered then if he could win and why he was fighting to help her. He was a person who they didn't know that much about and yet he was willing to give his life up for her. It made her nervous to think that someone that she hardly knew was that willing to die for her. It was a unsettling feeling and one that she didn't especially like.

She watched as Cadoris's opponent came out and stood across from Cadoris. It was a maggog and he was wielding something that she had been told was an axe. It was a nasty looking weapon and also one that looked as if it could do some damage if it hit. She looked at Cadoris and saw that he wasn't nervous in the least in fact if she hadn't known better she would have sworn that he was laughing. 

She hoped that Cadoris would be alright because he knew so much about plants and other such things and she wanted to learn about some of them from him. That and she hated to admit it she liked him a lot. She really liked him and she didn't know why. She watched and prayed to the Divine like Rev had taught her for Cadoris to be safe.

*****

Sitting in the front row also was the rest of the Andromeda crew along with Rommie herself who had wanted to see this sport as it was sometimes called. She had knowledge of it from history but she had never seen it for herself and she wanted first hand knowledge of the tournament.

The rest of them especially Dylan couldn't believe that there was such a place anywhere. It was just wrong to have people fight each other for money and such. They knew there were places where it was done but they had never known that there was a place in the universe that had taken to having battles just like an ancient civilization that was long destroyed. 

They couldn't believe that they were having a gladiator tournament and yet it seemed that people liked it and they never wanted for men to compete especially with the winning prize. They couldn't believe that they were giving such an amount of money away to someone who killed for the pleasure of the crowd.

Beka looked around and she was disturbed by how many people were there and how many seemed to be cheering for blood. They were all yelling and screaming for one or the other of the combatants. Beka herself was of course cheering for her new friend Cadoris who had been announced as Darkblade. It seemed each of the fighters was given a different name. They had the names because it gave people a interesting name to put with a face.

Harper watched and wondered if Cadoris had a chance against the Maggog. He knew that his friend was good but he also knew that Cadoris had never fought a Maggog in his life or really knew what they were capable of. Harper hoped that his friend would win because Harper really didn't want anything to happen to Trance.

Rommie watched and saw that Cadoris was at ease while the Maggog stalked back and forth and yelled to the crowd getting them on his side. She wondered at that and decided that it was for the benefit of the crowd that the Maggog was taking so long and was showing off so much. He must have been a crowd favorite she realized and then the Maggog turned and looked at Cadoris and said coldly as the crowd fell silent, "You will die slowly and with much pain human."

After that the crowd erupted into cheers for the Maggog and jeers for Cadoris who just stood there without moving and waited for the Maggog to make the first move. The Maggog growled and launched himself at Cadoris and the fight had begun.

*****

Cadoris stood near the center of the sand-covered floor and looked around him with the practiced eye of someone who had been in many battles. He saw first Trance who he was glad to see. He noticed that she was wearing quite a nice dress and that the rat faced man was sitting next to her. She looked nervous and so he smiled to her and bowed hoping that he could ease the way she felt. He wanted her to not think about him and this fight or about having her life in the hands of someone else. He wanted her to think about something else so that the time would pass and she would be fine.

He saw her smile in return as he turned back to his opponent. He decide then to look his foe over and see if there was anything that he could use to his advantage. He noticed that the Maggog was bigger than Rev and was also a hell of a lot meaner. The Maggog was wielding a rather large battleaxe that was made well considering the art of making weapons was lost. The Maggog was very muscular but not as fast as he should have been.

Out of the corner of his eye Cadoris saw his friends and they looked nervous. He didn't turn to them because he didn't want the rat faced man to know that Cadoris had other friends. Cadoris wanted his friends to remain secret especially since they were trying to restore the commonwealth and it wouldn't look good if the commonwealth crusaders were seen at a gladiator event.

Cadoris saw the Maggog start to walk back and forth trying to get the crowd on his side which Cadoris had been told always seemed to help the fighter out. Cadoris didn't care if the crowd was on his side or not he was here to kill the Maggog and get his friend and there was nothing and no one that was going to stop him unless the killed him.

Just then the Maggog was finished showing off and he charged Cadoris who hadn't even unsheathed his swords. The Maggog swung the axe in an overhand chop and Cadoris easily stepped aside and the axe buried itself in the sand. The crowd was roaring it's approval and Cadoris calmly unsheathed his blades.

The Maggog wrenched his axe out of the ground and swung around to face Cadoris who just smiled at him. The Maggog screamed a battle cry and charged forward and swung it's axe in a cut for Cadoris's side. Cadoris parried the cut with both of his swords and the Maggog stepped in close. Cadoris knew what was going to happen and so just as the Maggog breathed in Cadoris ducked under the axe and rolled out of the way as the Maggog spit it's other weapon at Cadoris.

It's spit just missed Cadoris as it went where he was just seconds before. Cadoris came up to his feet and smiled as he bowed to the Maggog who growled and charged Cadoris again. Cadoris threw his sword up as the axe came down at an angle trying to hit Cadoris in the leg. Cadoris caught the axe on the handle with his blade and stepped in close to the Maggog. Once there he said, "You are dead."

Cadoris drove his other blade deep into the Maggog's stomach and then Cadoris kicked him off his blade. The Maggog didn't fall though and instead charged again. Cadoris hadn't expected that and as the axe descended towards his chest he leaped back just in time. 

Cadoris narrowed his eyes in irritation at the persistent Maggog. Cadoris knew the Maggog was dead but the Maggog just didn't know it. The Maggog charged again as its blood flowed. Cadoris waited and then was surprised when the Maggog lashed out with it's claws for his face. Cadoris fell back as the claws just missed him but the axe was coming for him now and he didn't have time to get anything but his arm up to block the cut that was aimed for his neck. 

Cadoris threw his arm up and the axe cleaved into his forearm. The axe hit his bone and stopped just like Cadoris knew it would. Cadoris then smiled wickedly at the stunned Maggog and drove the sword that was in the hand that belonged to the arm that had gotten hit into the Maggog's chest. With the other blade he swung the sword in a slash that opened the throat of the Maggog. 

As the Maggog toppled over it drug the axe out of his arm. The crowd fell silent for they were all sure that Cadoris was going to lose since he was just a human. Cadoris shook his head since he knew Rev would feel bad as would the others about what he had just done but he had told them he was a killer. They also knew that he would have to kill if he was going to save Trance.

Cadoris walked over to the fallen Maggog and knelt down next to him. "You fought well. May death treat you well," Cadoris whispered for him alone to hear. Cadoris then stood up and walked to where he was told the winners were supposed to go and walked out of the arena to a room that had a large bath in it with heated water and other smaller baths.

Cadoris walked to one of the smaller ones and lowered himself down into the hot water. The blood washed from him and his muscles relaxed as he let the water soak into him. Cadoris closed his eyes and thought about how easy the fight had been. That was when he looked at his arm and thought that he needed to bandage it. 

The blood was still pouring from the wound and Cadoris wished that he could heal faster than he did. Not to say that he didn't heal fast but it just took a while. Cadoris found a towel and tore a strip from it and wrapped it around his forearm tightly and then layed back and waited for his next match. He hoped that it would be another easy one.


	6. Battles Resumed

Disclaimer: I don't own Andromeda so don't sue me.

Copyright: I own Cadoris so please ask me if you wish to use him.

Battles Resumed

A small weasel faced man walked into the room where Cadoris was sitting in a hot tub soaking. The man looked around and announced in a pinched voice, "For the next fight we need Darkblade and Sun Star."

Cadoris stood up and grabbed his swords and put on his cloths. He really wasn't in the mood at the moment to fight again but he would fight and he would win like he always did. He moved his arm and looked at the gash in his forearm. It hurt a little but pain was nothing new to him. He lived with pain the problem was the wound would bleed and make his grip unsure on his sword.

Cadoris shrugged his shoulders as he stepped forward and the little man led him out to the arena again. Cadoris took up his position in the middle of the floor and stood much like he had the last time. Once there Cadoris just waited with his hands on his sword hilts. He felt only calm and no fear like many warriors claimed the felt before a battle. Battle had never scared Cadoris neither had death. The only thing he feared was coming true and that was not being able to help a friend who was in need.

Cadoris looked towards the entrance where his opponent was just emerging. Cadoris shook his head because he knew whoever or whatever it was it couldn't beat him because he had a purpose and that purpose would guide his hands and his mind in order to get victory.

*****

The fight that Cadoris had been in had amazed trance. He had been amazing and she was surprised at how fluid his movements had been just like he had been born to fight and kill. She noticed during his fight that he never wasted a movement and everything had a purpose. It was interesting to see a fight like the ones she was watching.

They were so different from laser fights and held so much more excitement. At times she had found herself cheering along with the rest of the crowd and when she caught herself she quickly stopped for she hadn't wanted to be like them. She hadn't wanted to cheer for someone's death.

Trance had watched her friend win his fight but she had felt her heart hammer inside her chest when he had taken the wound to his arm. She had thought that he was dead but he had surprised everyone by throwing his arm up just in time. The thing that surprised her though was that the axe hadn't cut through his arm. It had hit his bone and stopped and allowed Cadoris the opportunity to win the fight that way.

Trance had looked over then to see the reaction on the face of Ray and had seen that he wasn't very happy about Cadoris winning. It seemed that he had expected Cadoris to die like every other human had ever entered the tournament. That made Trance happy to know that Cadoris was an exceptional person and that he was her friend. 

Trance was hoping that Cadoris would win because she didn't want to be a slave or any such thing at all. She wanted to one day find love and one day hold that love close and look back on her life and know that it wasn't wasted and that she had done things that had meant something. The more she thought about it the more she found herself thinking that it could be a human man and one that she had never even known existed. 

She put her elbows on the stone railing and then crossed her hands so that they created a steeple with her left hand on top. She then leaned forward and put her chin on the back of her hand and watched as Cadoris's next opponent came out to meet Cadoris.

*****

Sitting still in their spots was the crew of the Andromeda Ascendant. None of the crew had believed that Cadoris had had a chance of winning the first fight but he had proven them and everyone else wrong. He had won and not only won but had won without taking too many wounds.

Beka especially couldn't believe that Cadoris had won. She had been so sure that Cadoris was just throwing his life away. Beka smiled as she thought about it. It was as if Cadoris had won just to prove her wrong. She was glad that he had won but she was also worried because he had killed that Maggog without any remorse or at least it seemed that way. 

Beka wondered then where Cadoris had learned to fight. She knew that he could fight but it was something that was bothering her. He had defeated a Maggog and had shown that he had the strength to match a Maggog. There was also the matter of when he had gotten hit in the arm. He had taken a wound to his arm and any normal person would have lost their arm. The axe would have cleaved through the bone as well as the flesh and yet the axe hadn't. The axe had stopped when it had hit his bone. Beka frowned and decided that it was a problem for another day. 

Beka along with the rest of the crew had been surprised when Cadoris had taken the cut to his arm. They had all, except for Tyr, been worried about Cadoris when that had happened. Tyr though had said, "If he had thrown his arm up in the way of the axe then there was a reason."

That reason was bothering Harper too. He had seen the cut and had known that he himself would have passed out from the pain. It wasn't that he couldn't handle pain but what had done to Cadoris's arm was enough to make most people pass out. After all there had been many people who had done just that when they had seen the wound and all the blood start to flow from it.

Harper smiled at that thought. Many of the people at the arena thought of themselves as spectators and even more they thought themselves knowledgeable when it came to the fights. Many of those people though had known nothing about the fight and had just talked to make themselves sound smart. Being smart and sounding smart were two different things that Harper could attest to. As he watched his friend waited for his opponent and Harper hoped that Cadoris would win his next fight and he hoped he could do it without any more bloodshed than was necessary.

Tyr had gotten up and walked off just as Cadoris came back out for his next battle and Rev had left right after the first battle where Cadoris had killed the Maggog. Dylan knew that Rev had hoped that Cadoris wouldn't kill the Maggog but had also known that it was something that would have to have been done. In truth though Rev had left because he didn't have the stomach for the fighting.

Rev was a Maggog that was true but he was different than his kin. He wasn't a bloodthirsty person and he had the capacity for love and enlightenment. Rev had killed in his day and he had hated himself for it. His self-loathing was what had led him to take up the teachings of the Divine. He had wanted to better himself and maybe one day better his people as well.

Rev had watched the fight and had felt sick because he knew just how Cadoris's opponent had felt. It was a burning sensation deep down inside that was begging to be let out. It was the fury of the Maggog people and they were all born with it. That fury was what led them to be the way they were. It is what made them kill without remorse and kill constantly. It was that which Rev had learned to suppress and that was why he was sickened by what his people were like.

He never showed that he was repulsed by his own people and at times himself but it was there nevertheless. Rev shook his head as he headed back to the Andromeda. He knew Cadoris had to kill but Rev had hoped that Cadoris wouldn't do it. He had hoped and his hopes were now empty because he knew that Cadoris would do whatever it took to get Trance back. 

Rev loved Trance just like he would a little sister, but Rev wouldn't kill for her. Cadoris though had other views it seemed about what was needed in order to keep a friend safe and free of harm. Rev liked Cadoris as a friend but Rev wondered about Cadoris and why he was so ready to help Trance who he hardly knew. That was when it hit Rev and Rev knew why Cadoris was willing to do whatever it took. Cadoris Rev decided was in love with Trance or an emotion that was close to love. That was also when Rev knew that he would kill for a person that he loved in that way if it would keep them safe.

Tyr hadn't wanted to see the fight because he already knew who was going to win. The others didn't know what Tyr knew and that was why Try knew that Cadoris had a chance of winning the tournament. Tyr knew that Cadoris had more ability to fight than anyone Tyr had ever met. Tyr had no wish to see people slaughtered and so he had left to find something else to do. He had decided that he would go back to the Andromeda and talk with Rev even though he hated the way Rev preached about the Divine and the plan that it help for each and every person.

Rommie was watching the fights with more interest than most since it was a learning experience for her. She wanted to record the fights and keep them so that she could reference them if they were ever needed. She liked the fights and knew that most people would like the fights. Since she wasn't human or any other race she had a better understanding of why so many people watched the fights and cheered on people.

She came to the conclusion that people came to watch because they were afraid to fight themselves. That and that all races had an innate want to fight and kill. It seemed to be in all creatures and if the people didn't fight then they watched and that was an outlet for the destructive want that was in every one of the spectators. Many didn't or wouldn't know that it was there but everyone no matter how good had the destructive part of life in them.

Rommie had watched the fight with Cadoris and had caught herself cheering just like everyone else. It was a sensation that she wouldn't forget since it had made her feel more human than at any other time in her life. She had also known a bit of unease when she had seen her friend take the wound to his arm. She had known joy when he had won and shown little pain from the wound. She hoped as did the rest of the crew that Cadoris would win and get their friend back.

*****

Cadoris watched as his opponent stalked toward him. His opponent this time was a Nietzchean. The man that stalked toward him was large standing in just under six and a half feet tall. He was also muscular and had those innate weapons on his forearms that he was told to watch out for. 

Cadoris wasn't in the mood for a long fight so he drew his swords and waited for his opponent. The Nietzchean stalked forward and had his own swords out. Cadoris smiled for he knew that the art of fighting with swords and such was long lost and he had an advantage over his opponent or so he hoped. Cadoris would never underestimate an opponent.

The Nietzchean charged forward and swung his swords in a blinding fury that Cadoris was impressed with. Cadoris blocked every attack but he was impressed nonetheless. The Nietzchean swung his left sword at a cut low at Cadoris's legs and his other blade high at Cadoris's chest. Cadoris blocked the low cut just before it would have cleaved into his leg. Cadoris ducked the other blade as it whistled over his head just missing him. 

Cadoris still crouched thrust forward with his free sword and the Nietzchean jumped back just in time to avoid being stabbed. The Nietzchean smiled at Cadoris then as the crowd roared it's approval of the fight. Cadoris didn't even notice the crowd all he had eyes for was his opponent. His opponent spoke then and Cadoris had to strain to hear what he said, "You will die Darkblade and I will win this tournament and claim my prize which is anything that I want."

Cadoris didn't care if the fool thought he could beat Cadoris but that was a mistake and Cadoris was going to use it. Cadoris walked forward and thrust forward with both of his blades which the Nietzchean blocked with his own blades in a v formation and he cut down in order to pin Cadoris's blades low and keep them from doing any harm.

The Nietzchean kicked up between the hilts of his blades and kicked Cadoris in the face. Cadoris stumbled back and pulled his blades from beneath his opponents blades. Blood was pouring from Cadoris's nose and that only served to make Cadoris a bit more angry. 

The Nietzchean charged forward hoping to press his advantage. Cadoris was ready for him though and when the Nietzchean cut down in a v pattern with both of his blades aimed for Cadoris's chest Cadoris fell back onto his back. The blades passed over him harmlessly and Cadoris came up to his feet in the blink of an eye and kicked the Nietzchean in the knee. Cadoris heard a sickening crack and the Nietzchean fell to his knees.

Cadoris stalked forward hoping that he could end the fight then and there but as he neared his opponent the Nietzchean surged up to his feet and brought his blades up in a cut. The blades traced a line on Cadoris's chest since he was too slow to get out of the way. 

Cadoris was thinking that his opponent was good and that he was going to have to end the fight shortly. He decided that the only way to do that was to kill him from a distance. The Nietzchean charged forward and slashed with his swords. Cadoris came in close and paid for it by getting stabbed with the natural weapons of the Nietzchean. 

Cadoris fell back to the approval of the crowd. The Nietzchean walked back and forth then gesturing to the crowd and Cadoris smiled. Cadoris dropped his right hand blade and reached back and pulled free his throwing knife that he had put there earlier. As the Nietzchean was playing to the crowd Cadoris's arm snapped forward and the knife flashed through the air. The Nietzchean had had his back to Cadoris when Cadoris had thrown the knife but he turned just in time to feel the knife take him in the throat. 

The blades fell from the hands of the Nietzchean who was clutching at his throat trying to hold in his life blood which was a lost cause. The knife had been thrown expertly and had taken the Nietzchean in the jugular vein. Cadoris walked over and knelt down next to his opponent as the crowd fell silent in shock. "You lost just like I knew you would. Now give me back my knife," Cadoris said as he yanked his knife free of the man's throat. Cadoris wiped the blade off on the cloths of his fallen opponent and then sheathed his knife. Cadoris walked over and picked up his sword and sheathed that as well. 

Cadoris walked from the silent arena and went to the back where he was greeted by a woman. She was beautiful Cadoris had to admit. She had a heart shaped face and eyes that were the color of the ocean. Her eyes held fear and yet they held knowledge as well. She was tall standing just under six foot and she had long black hair that looked like the darkest night. She smiled at him warmly and held out her hand. Cadoris looked at it but didn't take it and instead he said, "Can I help you with something."

"Yes you can. I just wanted to thank you for killing that man because he was about as evil as a Nietzchean could be," The woman replied still smiling.

"Why do you want to thank me and what was the Nietzchean to you," Cadoris said as the blood still flowed from his chest wounds.

"I wish to thank you because I am tired of being beat and not having a life of my own. As to what I was to him well that is simple. I was his slave, his concubine if you will along with some other girls. Now that he is dead we now belong to you as the rules of the tournament state," the woman said quickly.

"How many of there are you," Cadoris asked for he was curious.

"There are a dozen of us and we are now yours to do with as you see fit," she said.

"Tell me one thing. The crowd cheered for him more than for any other and why was that," Cadoris asked with a frown.

"They cheered because he hadn't been beat in a dozen tournaments. You see every time you win the tournament you are given a woman of your choice and then anything else that is in the power of the tournament officials. He was the sure win this time as well until you beat him. Of course there is one other that I would worry about if I was you," the woman said.

"Well I don't worry about anything and I doubt there are any who can beat me. I am too dangerous for my own good. I have something to ask you and the rest of the women though," Cadoris said.

At the mention of that he noticed that she stiffened and her eyes hardened but she didn't back away which was good. "Ask what you will," she said coldly.

Cadoris smiled at the tone in her voice because he knew that she was scared of what he was going to ask her and yet she tried to be brave. "I was wondering if any of you know how to sew a wound closed. I need these cuts on my chest sewed shut," Cadoris said and she visibly relaxed. 

"I can help you with that. I fixed many of his wounds before and yours are not bad so it shouldn't be too difficult. Come with me so that the others can see who saved them," She said as she turned on her heal and strode away from Cadoris.

She took him back to a room in the back of the arena. The room was well furnished and had the look of a place of relaxation. There was a bed in one corner and expensive carpets on the stone floor. There was a mirror on a wooden stand and there was a weapons rack in one corner.

Cadoris also noticed that there were also eleven other women in the room and they were all just as beautiful as the first. As he stood there two of the women came forward and started to undress him. "Hey wait now I don't need undressed," Cadoris said quickly as he pushed their hands away from places that their hands didn't belong. 

"Of course you do for we are here to pleasure you," one of the women said in a sultry voice.

"I think that you need to go sit down and cool off my lady. I don't need pleasured and I don't need anything else except my cuts sewed shut. I would be extremely happy when that gets done," Cadoris said and watched in amazement as the woman he had told to sit down did.

"You weren't lying were you. You really are mine aren't you," Cadoris asked in wonder.

"We are and I hope that you treat us better than he did. We want someone who will be nice to us," the woman said.

"Hey what is your name," Cadoris asked.

"I am known as Lorianna, and may I ask master what your name is," she asked politely.

"First of all don't call me master because I am not even the master of my emotions. Second call me Cadoris for it is my name I think," Cadoris said as he held his hand out to her and she took it.

"Now that we are all friends can you please fix me up," Cadoris said smiling as he took off his shirt.

"I can do that and I thought that you didn't want to be undressed," the woman that Cadoris had told to sit down said playfully.

"Listen here now. I can undress myself and I am only taking off my shirt so that she can sew my wounds," Cadoris said smiling at the woman to let her know that he didn't want to hurt her. She smiled back and started to whisper to the other women around her.

After that Lorianna said playfully, "You are quite muscular and your muscles are hard just like I hope the rest of you is."

Cadoris blushed for the first time he could remember and knew at that moment that he had to help these women. They were nice to him when they didn't have to be and he owed them for that. He would find a way he vowed to help them out and then he laid back and let her fix him. He would have another fight shortly and then at least two more before the finals but he knew the next three fights at least would be easy and then he would have only one left. He closed his eyes and thought about how he could help the women as Lorianna's gentle hands worked and the other women whispered.

"Why are you so nice to us. You haven't hit any of us or used us for your pleasure," Lorianna asked after a couple minutes of tense silence.

"I have never hit a woman and I never will. I also don't think that using you for my pleasure would be right since I don't believe in slavery," Cadoris said and Lorianna fell silent to contemplate what she had just heard.

Cadoris had his thoughts return to ways of helping the women and ways of winning so that he could free his friend Trance. He would free her of that he had no doubt but he wanted to do it without having to kill the rat faced man. Cadoris had no wish to make even more enemies than he was likely to have made so far just for winning in the tournament.


	7. Final Match

Disclaimer: I don't own Andromeda or it's characters.  
  
Copyright: I own Cadoris so please ask if you want to use him.  
  
A Final Fight  
  
Cadoris was right about the next three fights that he had. None of them were that tough and he won with quite a bit of ease. He only took two more wounds out of the three fights and none of them were too serious. Of course his movements were becoming sluggish from the loss of blood he had sustained.   
  
Cadoris had fought another Maggog and a couple other races that he didn't know. He just fought them and killed them because he had one goal and that was to save his friend no matter the cost to himself. He could deal with anything that was done to him but if anything happened to her he couldn't be able to live with himself.  
  
Cadoris found himself liking the women who were there to greet him after every match and were there to sew closed his wounds after every fight of course his next fight would be his last one way or another. He had been told that the next man he would face was undefeated in more than four years of fighting in the arena. He had retired but had came back for one last fight in order to fight the little human who had dared to enter his arena.  
  
Cadoris was sitting in the room that used to be one of his opponent's but was now his. The woman Lorianna was stitching his cuts back together and she was pursing her lips just like a mother would at a disobedient child who had just injured himself. She shook her head and Cadoris had to smile. "You are going to get yourself killed you fool. Why are you even fighting in this tournament. No human has a chance of winning," she said as the needle flicked in and out of his flesh. They didn't have none of the fancy machines that the other's had so Cadoris had to settle for old fashioned stitches.  
  
Cadoris decided that he should answer the lady since she was helping him out. "I may die but that would be better than doing nothing to help a friend out. You see I have a friend and her name is Trance. She is being held prisoner by a nightsider who said that the only way that I could get her free is by winning this tournament. I intend to do that because I will not let her be sold into slavery or any other type of servitude," he said vehemently.   
  
"Who is she and why does she mean so much to you," Lorianna asked quietly.  
  
"She is a friend as I said and all my friends mean that much to me. I would die for them if it would keep them safe," Cadoris said.  
  
"She is a lucky girl to have a friend like you," Lorianna said as she turned away so that Cadoris couldn't see the tears that started to fall.  
  
Cadoris looked over to her and noticed that her shoulders shook with suppressed sobs. He didn't know why but he felt as if it was his fault and decided that he had to do whatever he could to make her feel better. Cadoris reached over and put his hand on her shoulder and turned her to face him. Cadoris saw that tears were making their way down her face and he reached up and brushed them aside. "There is no need for tears my lady for I have what I will ask for when I win. I will ask for your freedom so that you may live the life that you want to. I will ask for all of you to have your freedom and it is something that I feel they will not refuse me," Cadoris said as he pulled her close and held her while her tears soaked the front of his shirt.  
  
Cadoris held her until she stopped crying and then he was called to the arena. He left her then with a kill on the hand and the words, "I will return and when I do I will have your freedom. I will not lose I promise you that."  
  
The women watched him go and they felt that it would be the last time that they would see him alive. They liked the man for he was a kind and gentle man except for when he fought. They wanted him to live but it would be next to impossible for him to beat the opponent that he had to fight. They were glad that he was thinking of them but they knew that if he won he wouldn't ask for their freedom and so the women went and sat down and waited for their new master to be dead or return to them.  
  
*****  
  
Trance couldn't believe that Cadoris was still alive and had made it to the final battle. She knew that he was good but she had had no idea that he was such an exceptional warrior. He had bested some of the more violent races and he had done it with ease. She was cheering for him in every fight and she hoped that he would win not only for herself but because she didn't want him to die.  
  
She noticed that he had taken many wounds but that he didn't show any outward sign, except him slowing down, that the wounds bothered him. She was impressed by how he didn't even notice the wounds when he took them. The more she watched him the more sure she was feeling something for him. She felt responsible for him and yet she couldn't do anything for him. It was the other way around and he was doing everything in his power to help her out of a tight spot.  
  
Trance was just worried that Cadoris was not going to be able to win the final fight since she had already seen what he would have to fight and it didn't look promising. She was filled with excitement no matter how much she wished that she wasn't but she was also filled with dread because she didn't know if her new friend would live past the day. She wanted to know more about him and other such things. She wanted to learn about a time that was long gone and about the way people acted in that time. She wanted to learn about the plants from his time and other such things.  
  
Trance closed her eyes and rested while she waited for the fight to start. She didn't want to see the way the other spectators cheered and booed when the combatants came out. She was sickened by the way everyone reacted but she had to put up with it because she was a prisoner. She wished that she was anywhere but where she was at the moment. She was nearly asleep from exhaustion when she felt a prodding in her ribs. She hadn't slept for over twenty hours and it was taking it's toll on her. She felt heavy and her eyes wanted to stay closed but the prodding was insistant. It was then accompanied by a voice that she knew only too well from her time near the nightsider, "Wake up you don't want to miss this. My warrior will destroy the little human and then you will be mine. Also I wanted you to see the reaction on the face of your friend when he comes face to face with Bull."  
  
Trance looked and saw that Bull was already in the arena since he was the champion or had been she had been told. He had been champion for more than two years before he retired. As she watched the crowd jeered as the doors opened and Cadoris came out with his usual calm. He walked over to stand right across from his opponent and just waited as did everyone else in the arena.   
  
*****  
  
"All right folks and other creatures we have here our final battle of the evening. It is going to be huge and bets will be great. Men will become rich while others lose their lives. IT is our Final Fight," The announcer blared over the intercom so that everyone could hear. Cadoris hated announcers, they made everything out to be much worse than it really was.  
  
"We have our champion Bull who is undefeated," at those words the crowd erupted and Cadoris didn't really care. "He is our champion the champion of the different races. He is undefeated in more than two years of combat!"  
  
"We have our challenger. He is a human and to be quite truthful I don't think that he can win. He has surprised us all and he goes by the name of Darkblade!" Cadoris was surprised to find that the crowd actually cheered for him. He hadn't been playing to the crowd and he didn't care what they thought of him but it was a good feeling to be cheered instead of booed. That was when he deigned to notice his opponent.  
  
Cadoris stood across from his opponent, his last obstacle, and was stunned. Stunned was the only word for what he saw standing across form him. He didn't let it show but he was stunned. The reason he was stunned was because standing across from him was a creature that he had been told was nothing more than a myth. Standing across from him was a creature that had horns protruding from its head with straggly brown hair covering it's body. It stood over seven feet tall and was more heavily muscled than any man. The creature had large eyes and a large black nose that was flattened to it's face. Instead of feet it had hooves that were black. Cadoris blinked his eyes and when he opened them still standing where it was before was his opponent a Minotaur.  
  
Cadoris didn't know what to think but he knew that this fight wasn't going to be as easy as he had hoped. He didn't ever dream that he would be fighting a creature out of myth. He was not going to give up but if the myths were true then the Minotaur was an amazing fighter.  
  
Cadoris stood with his hands on his sword hilts and waited for his opponent to make his move as he always did. His opponent though held a very large sword in one hand a large axe in other. Cadoris knew that if he was going to win then it would have to be with his skill and with his speed.   
  
The Minotaur charged forward and as it neared Cadoris it lowered it's head and tried to skewer him. Cadoris wasn't expecting that and so just barely swayed aside from the horns that would have pierced his lungs. Cadoris watched as the Minotaur pulled up short next to where Trance was and bow to the nightsider that was beside her. The man smiled and gave the Minotaur a pat on the head and he tied a kerchief to his horn! The man was honoring him as a champion! As his champion! Cadoris couldn't believe it.  
  
The Minotaur turned back around and looked at Cadoris. It's eyes were bloodshot and fevered with anger. It ran forward and swung the sword in a cut that would have taken Cadoris across the chest had he not ducked it. But as he was crouched the axe came down in an overhand chop and Cadoris just barely rolled out of the way as the axe buried itself into the sand of the floor. Cadoris rolled to his feet and glared at his opponent. This was going to be a lot harder than he had hoped.   
  
The Minotaur started to play to the crowd and so Cadoris walked over to Trance slowly and kept his eye on the Minotaur waiting for him to charge and yet he didn't. The crowd fell silent as Cadoris walked right up to Trance who had a seat at near floor level on the first row. The crowd was wondering what he was going to do and they held their breath in anticipation. They had been kept on their toes by the human and they were starting to like him even though many wouldn't have admitted it.   
  
Cadoris knelt in the sand in front of Trance and put his hand to his heart. He looked up at her and said, "My lady it seems that my opponent is championing this creature. If that is the case then I must champion someone as well and I would champion no one but you."  
  
Trance couldn't believe what Cadoris was doing. It was absurd and quite frankly it was embarrassing. She looked around but everyone was staring at her waiting for her to give him an answer but she couldn't at least not yet. He was offering himself to her she knew that much. He was offering his services to her for this fight to champion her and it was unheard of in the tournament for anyone to champion anyone especially since the losing gladiator would cost the person who he was championing their life. Trance though didn't care about that because she would rather be dead then be a slave.   
  
Trance smiled down at Cadoris even though she didn't feel like smiling. He had his head down and was waiting for her answer and so was his opponent. She reached up and pulled the ribbon from her hair and said, "Very well Darkblade. I shall let you be my champion and here wear this ribbon as a token of my favor." She knew that she had to say that to make it official. She also didn't have to worry about speaking loudly because the arena had speakers set all over where everyone could hear what she had said and what Cadoris had said.  
  
Cadoris stood up and walked to her. She was so beautiful he decided as he stood there waiting for her to put the ribbon around his neck. She leaned forward over the railing and wrapped the ribbon around his neck and kissed him on the cheek to the roar of the crowd. At that time Cadoris heard a snort behind him and he spun just in time to see the sword descending towards his neck. Cadoris rolled forward and the sword whistled by where he had just been. Cadoris came back to his feet and faced his opponent who had already turned around and was coming for him again.  
  
Cadoris shoved his blade down in the sand and waited. As his opponent drew nearer he flipped his blade up and the sand on the blade flew up towards the Minotaurs face but the Minotaur ducked the sand. That was all the opening that Cadoris needed to go on the offensive. He charged forward and cut down at the minotaur who barely parried the blade before it would have hit him in the side. Cadoris thrust that blade forward and it sliced along the ear of the minotaur who growled at shoved Cadoris back as their weapons parted.  
  
"I will enjoy killing you human," the minotaur growled as it stalked forward this time more wary.  
  
The charged each other and their weapons clanged together with the sound of steel against steel muted by the thunder that was the crowd. The minotaur and Cadoris had their weapons locked in front of them and the minotaur tried to head butt Cadoris who moved his head to the side but only partially. The horn hit Cadoris on the side of the head and sent him reeling. The minotaur attacked in full force then and swung the axe in a cross cut for Cadoris as he thrust with his sword where he hoped Cadoris would be.  
  
Cadoris jumped back though instead of ducking and both weapons missed him except for the sword which just barely pricked him in the chest. Cadoris felt blood flowing down his arms from his earlier wounds and he felt blood trickling down his head from taking a horn to the head. He was definitely not finding this an easy fight.  
  
The minotuar bellowed out a blood-curdling yell and charged yet again and as the sword came in a slash for his chest Cadoris spun on his heel and the sword passed where he had been but the minotuar brought his sword around in a reverse cut and Cadoris was just not fast enough from blood loss to get out of the way. The blade cut into Cadoris's side and Cadoris fell to his knees. The blade had traveled until it had hit his bones and then had stopped. Blood flowed down his side and down his leg but Cadoris wasn't thinking about that.  
  
Cadoris smiled at his opponent who looked surprised by that and then Cadoris whipped his sword up in a underhanded cut that caught the Minotaur by surprise and split it's chin. The cut was not a bad one but it was a cut and the minotaur had never suffered a wound before in it's life.  
  
Cadoris stuck one of his blades in the ground and forced himself to his feet. He was in a lot of pain now but he would have to deal with it or lose. The minotaur was growling a spittle flew from it's mouth. It's eyes were almost completely red now and Cadoris couldn't do anything but laugh. He found it funny that he had angered a creature that he shouldn't even be fighting since it was nothing more than a myth.  
  
The minotuar took the laugh the wrong way and charged forward and slashed with both weapons. Cadoris leaped back and then back again from each cut. Cadoris soon found himself pressed up against the wall and as the blade of the axe was desceding he leaped aside. Cadoris heard a scream and looked over to see that the axe had just missed hitting Trance. Cadoris couldn't believe that he had almost gotten her killed. He was struck motionless by what he saw. The axe was buried in the seat right next to her and it had cut her arm slightly.  
  
Cadoris lost it at that moment and charged forward without making a sound. The minotuar turned rage filled eyes to him but it wasn't going to stop Cadoris now that he was angry. The Minotaur cut and thrust with his blade and scored a couple more hits on Cadoris who wasn't trying all that hard to get out of the way. One cut he took to his temple and another to his thigh but they didn't slow him a bit not even when the blood dripped into his eye.  
  
Cadoris was waiting for one mistake and he would then capitalize on it. The Minotaur thrust with it's sword and put it's weight behind it thinking that Cadoris wouldn't be able to get out of the way. Cadoris waited until the last second and spun away from the thrust and did a full circle spin and brought his own blade down on the minotaur's sword near it's hand. The sword was knocked from the minotaur's hands and Cadoris brought his other blade around in a cut and traced a line across his opponet's throat. As the blood gushed Cadoris stood there watching.  
  
The minotaur released it's hold on it's axe which had been useless as a defense for the minotuar had been off balance and couldn't have wielded the axe properly. It was also in it's other hand and couldn't have brought it across it's body. Cadoris caught the minotaur's throat in his had as he dropped one of his blades and hissed into it's face, "You hurt a friend of mine. When you did that you died. Now I will finish you quickly." With those words Cadoris tightened his grip on the minotaurs throat and pulled his opponents throat out ending the minotaur's suffering.  
  
  



	8. A Victory Prize

Disclaimer: I don't own Andromeda or it's characters. 

Copyright: I own Cadoris so please ask me if you wish to use him.

Author's note: I am thinking about making this the last chapter so please let me know if you would like more of this story or not. It helps a lot to know that you people are reading it and enjoying it. I also like feedback since it gives me ideas of where to take the story.

The Victory Prize

Cadoris turned from the corpse of the Minotaur and looked at the box where those who considered themselves nobles just like the old days were sitting. They were standing and many had awe etched onto their faces for none of them had ever dreamed of seeing a human win the tournament in their lifetimes. A man and woman who were human stepped forward.

The man was tall standing over six feet tall and was well muscled but had a belly on him as if he drank too much. He had a mustache that was a bit sparse as if the man was just old enough to try and grow facial hair. The man wore dark red clothes from head to toe and he had his arm thrown around the woman at his side.

The woman was pretty Cadoris thought but not near as pretty as Trance for the woman had too much makeup on to make herself look more like a doll from his time than an actual woman. She was very pale just like a person who hardly ever went outside in the sun. She had dark eyes that held no warmth for anyone and Cadoris knew that her and the man at her side were slave traders or some other such criminals. They had the look about them as well as the look that said they were important.

"You young man who are you who has won the tournament," the woman said smiling but there was no warmth in it.

"I am no one important lady," Cadoris said coolly as the blood on his hands started to harden. He was still bleeding from the wounds on his body but he didn't even notice it.

"As a matter of fact you are very important. You have won the tournament and that alone makes you important. Now you will tell us your name or you will not be given your prizes that you have won," The man said angrily for he was not used to people talking back to him or his wife.

Cadoris stared at him with anger in his eyes but he held it in check. "I am known as Cadoris if you must know," was all Cadoris said.

"We do need to know so that we can write it down in the annuls. You are the first human to ever win the tournament since it was opened to other races besides humans. You should be proud because all humans are proud for you," the woman said smoothly.

"I am not proud for what I did. I killed because I had to. Now all I want is what is coming to me so that I may leave," Cadoris said.

"You are in a hurry it seems so you may ask for any woman and she will be yours and you may ask for one boon and that will be granted to you as well if we have the power to do so," the man said.

"Very well for the first I ask that I have Trance. She was taken be a slaver and they are sitting over there," at that he gestured to where they were seated. "I want her and he must give her up as the rules say."

"You are correct in that. Go over and get her for she is now yours sir knight," the woman purred. She was mocking him by calling him sir knight but he didn't care.

Cadoris walked over to where Trance was seated and held out his hand to her over the stone railing that separated the spectators from the ring. She was happy he could tell but she was also frightened. She was still bleeding from the gash in her arm and the blood had soaked her dress. Cadoris's heart lurched to see her bleeding but he couldn't help that.

The nightsider was furious that he had lost and he started to reach into his coat for something but Cadoris noticed him moving his hand and he growled, "If you wish to die right here then go ahead and go for your little weapon." The nightsider stopped his hand where it was and hissed at Cadoris in anger.

Trance had still not taken his hand and he frowned at her. She was sitting there but her eyes were closed and her breathing was shallow. Cadoris leaped over the railing and went to her. People crowded around to see what was going on and he felt her pulse which was racing. Cadoris didn't know what was going on but he reached down and picked her up and as he did her eyes opened and she smiled at him. He smiled back and leaped over the railing back out into the arena. 

"What was wrong with you just now," Cadoris asked a bit worried.

Her smile vanished and she said, "The blade was poisoned with a poison that I am partially immune to. It started to work on my body but then my body fought back and I am fine now except for the gash in my arm. How is it that the poison didn't affect you."

"I don't know but don't worry about that now for you are safe and I won't let them hurt you again. I have to ask for my boon now," Cadoris said as he smiled at her and she returned it and he thought that she was the most beautiful woman that he had ever seen.

"There you now have the woman of your choice though it is not the one that I would have chosen. Now you must tell us what you want for your boon," the man said wonderingly at Cadoris's choice of a woman.

"It doesn't matter what you would have chosen it matters that I chose her. Now as for my boon I want you to release all the women who are in service. I want them to all be free and you will never give them as prizes again. You will never give any woman as a prize ever again," Cadoris said as he watched them for their reactions.

The crowd started to buzz with the boon that the human had asked. None of them could believe what they had heard. He was asking to do away with what was tradition and that would ruin them. It was what was done for all time to give women away as prizes to the winners. It was unheard of for someone to ask that!

"We can not grant you that for it is not in our power. Ask for something else. You see it is tradition to give women away as gifts without that we would not have anyone fighting in our tournaments and so we would go out of business. We would be ruined," one of the other lords said from where he was sitting.

"You can grant that because as far as I can tell you have tried to make this just like the old games during the time of the Roman Empire. The problem is that you don't know what they gave as prizes to the victor. That is where you are wrong. The people who fought in the fights were men who were slaves or were captured men during wartime. There were criminals that were forced to fight in order to live and still others fought for the simple glory of the fight. Do that instead of giving women away or give away money as a prize just don't give women," Cadoris said while he still held Trance in his arms.

The women that had tended his wounds were watching from the arch leading into the back where the gladiators went after each fight. They couldn't believe that he was fighting for them instead of asking for something else like the high council had told him. He was truly trying to keep his word to them and that brought tears to all of their eyes.

"Young man how can you know what the original people were thinking or how it was done for it was more than 5000 years ago," A woman said.

"I just know," was all that he gave them for an answer.

They council started to talk and they talked for over ten minutes all the while he held Trance. His blood was flowing and he was getting weaker by the second and he knew that before long he would pass out from blood loss but not before he heard what they had to say on the matter of the women. Finally they broke apart and the man and woman stepped forward. The woman spoke up and she seemed happy, "Your boon has been granted. All of the women that have been given as prizes are now free and we shall not give women as prizes any more."

"Thank you," Cadoris said as he pitched forward and blackness enfolded him. Cadoris sat Trance down before he fell into unconsciousness though.

*****

Cadoris awoke to find himself in a room somewhere and his friends and the women who had helped him out surrounded him. The women who were now free. Cadoris smiled up at them and they all smiled back. "It is good to see that you will live," Rev said from where he was standing next to him. "I prayed to the divine for your safety."

"I thank you Rev for that may be the only reason that I am alive at this moment," Cadoris said.

"I doubt that. You are too tough and stubborn to die," Tyr said and even he smiled at Cadoris.

"Why thanks Tyr I didn't know you cared," Cadoris said and smiled at him.

Cadoris forced himself to sit up and look everyone in the eye. "I am glad that you all have your freedom now," Cadoris told the women.

"No it we who are glad to you for what you did for us. We honestly didn't think that you would try to free us but you did and we are truly grateful to you for that. If there is anything that we can do for you then name it and we will do it," Lorianna said.

"I do have one thing that I would ask of you," Cadoris said and she stiffened a bit. Even now she thought that he would ask her to pleasure him.

"I ask that you all be happy and find happiness where you may," Cadoris said and smiled as they all thanked him. 

*****

Dylan couldn't believe that Cadoris had won the tournament and he had discussed it with Tyr who had said that Cadoris shouldn't have been able to win if he was just human. There was no human who could do some of the things that Cadoris could do of course Dylan mused, Cadoris was from a time that they knew very little about.

Dylan was sitting in his chair in his quarters when the door slid open and Beka stepped in. "It is good to have our whole crew back isn't it," she said cheerily."

"It is at that but I wonder about Cadoris. There is just something about him. He is just too different and I can't figure him out. Rommie says that he is superb physical condition and that he is better than any human that she has ever encountered before. I just want to know what he is for sure," Dylan said with his hand on his chin.

"He is our friend Dylan that is who he is. I don't need to know more than I already do about him because he proved that he is one of us by helping Trance out when she was in trouble. I think that should be good for you to but for some reason it doesn't seem to be enough," Beka said as she frowned at Dylan.

"It is enough it is just that I don't like things that I don't know about. He is a puzzle with too many missing pieces," Dylan said.

"That may be but some of those pieces will stay missing because he doesn't remember everything about his life," Beka said.

"You are right I suppose and I should go and set us a course. We need to find another world to join the commonwealth," Dylan said as he stood up and walked from his room.

Beka watched him go and wondered why he cared to know so much about their new crewmember. She wondered if he was jealous that he couldn't do what Cadoris had done or what but it made her a bit uneasy. She decided that she would have to watch all her friends and make sure that they didn't do anything that would hurt each other.

The women that Cadoris had freed left the ship still telling Cadoris thanks for all his help and he waved to them as they went back down to the planet. He felt glad for them that he was able to help them but wondered if they would truly be free or if after he left they would go back to being slaves because the council would say so.

He turned back to his gathered friends and smiled. "Well my friends it seems that we have a job to do and let's get to it," he said happily.

That night they gathered on the bridge and called for Cadoris. He came in and frowned to see that they were all there and in uniform too. "What is this," he asked nervously.

"It is a questioning Cadoris. We have some questions and we want you to answer them," Dylan said in his formal tone of voice.

Cadoris growled deep in his throat but he kept from making his distaste for them known. He had thought that they were his friends and now he finds out that they weren't. "Ask away captain," Cadoris said coldly.

"We would like to know who you really are. We know that Cadoris isn't your real name," Dylan started with his first question.

"I don't know what my real name is anymore. All I can remember is my code name. It is as if this name was my real name and who knows it might very well be," Cadoris said evenly. Rommie appeared and said, "He speaks the truth."

"Next we watched you fight and noticed that you took a cut on your arm that should have severed your arm. Why didn't it," Dylan demanded.

"Because my bones are not wholly bones. The government had came up with a way to liquefy different types of metal. Well they used the strongest metal and pumped it into my bones. The metal seeped into my bones and filled places that had small openings where the metal could collect. It seeped and found places where it could seep into the bone and marrow of my bones. That is why it didn't cut my arm off," Cadoris spat at them. He was tired of the questions already.

They were all stunned by what he had said. There was nothing in the history books or that was known about people doing any such thing to other people. It was disgusting to say the least that they would do that. "Why did they do that Cadoris," Dylan asked more gently than he had before.

"Because they were trying to create the perfect soldier. If your bones couldn't break then you were less susceptible to torture. That and I was trained in how to deal with torture. I could take more pain than any person had a right to endure," Cadoris said as his eyes clouded over with memories.

"I would like to ask one more thing. Why did you risk your life for Trance when you hardly know her. I want the truth now and no lie," Dylan said as he turned to look at Rommie. 

Cadoris looked at them and knew that they thought him a monster now but he couldn't do anything about that. He might as well tell them why he did what he did. "I helped her because she is my friend first and foremost. Second I never let a woman down if she is in trouble. Lastly I think that I love her even though I haven't known her that long," Cadoris said to their stunned faces. He shrugged his shoulders and walked from the room.


	9. A Friend Calls

Disclaimer: I don't own Andromeda or it's characters

Disclaimer: I don't own Andromeda or it's characters.

Copyright: I own Cadoris so please ask me if you wish to use him.

A Friend's Call

Cadoris was sitting in his room alone as usual. Ever since Dylan had demanded that he tell them things about himself that he hadn't wanted to tell he had kept to himself and his rooms. The only person he had talked to was Rommie and he wasn't sure that she could be considered a person. Of course he was starting to think of her as one of his best friends and it didn't bother him that she was AI instead of a real human. She had emotions and that was all that mattered.

He had learned form her that she had at one time in the not too distant past that she had had a love. It didn't really surprise him the way that it should have but then he was a man alive after being frozen three thousand years ago and so not much surprised him anymore. His world was gone and there was nothing that he could do about it. He mourned his loss but he did it silently and he very seldom dwelled upon the past that he would never see again except in his dreams.

Rommie had described the man she had come to love. Cadoris smiled at the memory. They really were as close to human as people would ever truly be able to make machines without actually making them human at least partly. Cadoris decided that they were human in his eyes and so he would treat them just like they were but he wondered about one thing. How come in Star Wars the robots were so crappy?

He shrugged his shoulders at the thought but his thoughts returned to the man that Rommie had loved. He had hoped that she would find someone but she had never shown any indication that she liked anyone. It was a mystery to him and then she had started talking about him. He was brave and nice as well as another battle ship. He was perfect in every way she had said and had talked long hours about him to Cadoris who had listened more intently than Rommie had ever had anyone listen to her about him before. 

She had loved him for listening and not judging her like Dylan and even Harper had. It had felt good to talk to someone as an equal instead of as a person who outranked her. She was glad for Cadoris's company because even though he had rank on the ship now he didn't let it change him in the least. He had stayed himself except when Dylan had demanded that Cadoris tell him why he had risked so much for Trance when he hadn't even known her that long. 

She had felt sorry for Cadoris then because no one should be made to tell their secret feelings for another person the way that Cadoris had been forced to. She had tried to comfort him the best that she could which wasn't very good because she had no programming for that. He had accepted her ministrations but had not let anything slip about any of his feelings since and it had Rommie wondering about him. She knew that he was secretive but keeping to himself was something that she didn't see how it was helping him. She wanted him to go out and talk to the rest of the crew like he used to and other such things.

It had gotten so bad that when they had docked at a place to but supplies he had stayed on the ship saying that someone had to protect it and Rommie. He referred to the ship and Rommie as separate entities which surprised her but she didn't ever correct him. The ship and her were one and the same. He had stayed on the ship that day and had also stayed in his room. He hadn't even come out to help unload the supplies. He had just sat in his room brooding and polishing his swords that were as old as he was.

He was enjoying his time to himself until Dylan came pounding on his door one day. It had been more than two weeks since he had seen another crew member and it didn't especially bother him because as an assassin he had had to be alone for longer periods of time than that. The thing was he hadn't lied when he had said that he loved Trance. He didn't know how he did or why but he knew that the feeling was there and he was starting to miss her. 

There was a pounding at his door and he had thought that if he let the person just stand there then they would eventually leave him alone but after ten minutes the pounding continued and he knew that they were going to leave him alone now. Whoever it was wanted him to talk to them and so he went over and let them in even though he really didn't want to.

When he opened the door Dylan was standing there in his black uniform. Cadoris Stepped back and let Dylan in who stepped in and found himself a chair to sit in. He looked at Cadoris as he sat down on the bed and leaned back against the wall with his arms behind his head.

"What is it Captain. You come here to badger me some more about why I do things," Cadoris's voice dripped venom.

Dylan could tell that he had really hurt him that day when he had demanded that he tell them why he had done what he had done. He understood now but at the time he didn't. All he knew was that one of his crew found it too easy to kill someone without any reason at all except that the crowd enjoyed it. He had found out later from Rommie though that Cadoris was a man who killed only because he had too. He had thought that it was necessary in order to save Trance whom he loved. 

"I am sorry about that Cadoris. I didn't mean to pry I just wanted answers is all," Dylan said.

"Well you got them and are you happy," Cadoris said.

"As a matter of fact I am. I didn't come here to argue with you though. I came here to ask you something," Dylan said. 

Cadoris raised an eyebrow at that and asked, "Oh more of your type of questions huh. I think I could do without them."

"Please just hear me out. All I want to ask is for your help," Dylan said softly.

Cadoris shrugged his shoulders then as he sat forward to look at Dylan as he said, "Go ahead and ask for my help. I may give it and I may not."

Dylan nodded his head that he understood. "I have need of your help in a matter that is important to me and the commonwealth. I have been asked by an old friend to come to her side and help her. She thinks that assassins have been sent after her from a pride that wishes her dead. Her name is Elsabet Mosadeem. She is a Nietchean and I would understand if you have no wish to go. Everyone else but Rev is going and I would apreciate it if you would go with us as well. She is important and I don't want to see her die."

"I wonder why that is Dylan. I don't really care but what I don't see is how a bunch of humans are going to protect her from her own kind. They are stronger and faster than any human so that means in combat we stand little or no chance," Cadoris said reasonably hoping that Dylan would take the hint which of course he didn't.

I have seen you beat a Nietchean in combat. I have seen you and you are as strong as they are if not stronger due to what has been done to you. You are as fast as well. You are perfect for this," Dylan said hoping that Cadoris would accept because he knew that if he didn't their chance of keeping her alive would be next to nothing.

"The only reason that you want me to go is because I am an assassin and you know that an assassin knows about assassins. My guess is that the only reason she knows that she is being hunted is because she is one am I right," Cadoris said and he could tell by the look on Dylan's face that he was right. He smiled to himself then and said, "Fine I will help. When do we leave."

"We leave in five minutes. You see we are already to her planet and so all we need to do is get our equipment ready and disembark from the Andromeda. So be ready if you are going. In five minutes meet us at the bridge," Dylan said formally now as he stood up and left the room.

"OK captain sir," Cadoris said to his back as he gave a salute which was extremely mocking.

Cadoris went over to his dresser and opened the bottom drawer. He pulled out his throwing knives as well as his swords. They were wrapped in white silk cloth which he unwound from around them. The blades glimmered in the light as he pulled each one from it's sheath. "I know I have neglected you my sweets but now it seems we have work to do," he said as he slipped each one back home in it's sheath. He slung them over his shoulders and put his bandolier on with is knives in it. He reached in and grabbed a necklace and put it around his neck. The necklace was of a leopard that was white with black spots a snow leopard. He never went anywhere without it. After he put that on he grabbed his force lance and holstered it at his side and walked out and headed to the bridge where he was supposed to meet everyone.

*****

Cadoris was at the bridge first and he waited until he heard voices approaching. He had put his things down and was leaning against the wall when Dylan and everyone else came into view with more things than he had. Some of them had bags slung over a shoulder which he supposed contained clothing and other such things but Cadoris didn't think that he was going to need too much. He planned on making this a short job.

He saw that Tyr had more guns on him than usual which wasn't surprising since they were expected to fight assassins. Of course he was the only one that had more than one gun which surprised Cadoris a little. Trance didn't have a gun of course because he didn't think that she could take a life. He wished that he was that way but he wasn't and it was useless to wish for something that would never happen.

"Why do you have your swords," Beka asked in all seriousness. 

"Because I was told that we were going to help keep some woman safe from assassins. I was just getting ready," Cadoris said his voice even as he looked at them.

Dylan was smiling as Harper said in that annoying way he had, "Oh come on are you telling me that Dylan here didn't tell you why we really are going there. That is rich I must say."

Cadoris turned his gaze on Dylan whose smile vanished at the look on Cadoris's face. "Well I knew that it was the only way that I was going to get you out of your damn room Cadoris," Dylan said.

"Why are we really going then," Cadoris demanded his voice hard as steel.

"She asked us to come because she is having a celebration and she thought that she should ask us since we were the ones that kept her alive and got her to her husband," Dylan said by way of explanation. 

"I don't understand you humans at all. Especially your desire to keep each other company," Tyr said in his practical voice.

"Well I suppose that I have to go to this thing now huh," Cadoris said as he growled at Dylan.

Dylan just laughed and said, "Of course because if you don't go willing then I will have to have Rommie drag you there kicking and screaming. I don't think that would look very good do you."

"Fine I will go but I don't have any other cloths with me and you said that we had to be here in five minutes," Cadoris reminded him. 

"We will wait for you to get your cloths if you hurry," Dylan said as if he was talking to a child who had forgotten something before they went on a long trip.

Cadoris disappeared and went back to his room. He found a bag and filed it with cloths which he made sure were decent cloths even though he didn't really want to take anything that was nice. As he was walking out of the room he stopped and went back to his bag that was frozen with him and pulled out his uniform and shoved it into the bag as well that he was taking with him.

As he got back to the bridge he saw that there were half a dozen Nietcheans there in uniforms of black leather and gold embroidery. He supposed they were the royal guard though he wasn't that impressed with them. They stood at attention and a woman appeared that he had to admit wasn't that bad looking though in his opinion she wasn't near as beautiful as Trance. She had black hair and dark skin. Her eyes were dark colored as well and she was medium height. She had a good voice though as Cadoris noted when she walked forward to Dylan and spoke.

"Dylan it is good to see you again," she said as she embraced Dylan in a hug.

"And it is good to see you Elsabet. I am glad that things are going so well for you," Dylan said formally.

"They are going well and I see that you and your crew are doing fine as well," she said as her gaze swept those gathered there. Cadoris was the last one that her gaze fell on and she stopped and looked at him like a warrior assessing another. He knew the gaze well because he had used it many times and had in fact used it on her though he had been more discreet about it.

"Who is the new crew member if I may ask Dylan," she said as her gaze returned to Dylan.

"Well this is Cadoris and we picked him up a while ago. He has already proven to be a valuable member of our crew because he saved Trance not all that long ago," Dylan said.

"Ah the purple person with the monkey tail I remember her well and I see that she is here. I heard about a gladiator that was human and who had bested everyone that had been thrown at him. He had used two swords that were metal and he used them with skill that hadn't been seen in a very long time. A skill that is only in records," Elsabet said as she assessed him again.

"Yes I heard that too," one of the guards said.

"It is good to see you again," Trance said in her cheerful voice hoping to break the tense silence. She really wasn't that happy to see her again but then she felt that she had to do something because the silence had stretched until she couldn't bear it and she knew that something was going to happen and that it was going to involve Cadoris.

"It is good to see all of you again," Elsabet said back as she smiled at them.

"Well shall we go then I am sure that your husband is waiting for us," Dylan said.

"Yes we should get going," Elsabet said as she clapped her hands and her guards led the way from the bridge. Cadoris walked up to where Beka and Harper were and fell in beside them. He followed them until they were to the palace and once there they were each given their own room. Cadoris went straight to his and started searching for hollow walls and other such things thinking that the room would be rigged so that he could be spied upon. 

His searching turned up nothing and so he put his things away and sat down on the plush bed. He didn't like the bed as soon as he sat down on it. It was too soft and he had been used to sleeping on hard things. That was why he liked his bed in the Andromeda it wasn't too soft and yet it wasn't as hard as the floor either. It reminded him of the nights he had slept outside all those years ago when the ground had been wet from recent rains.

He shook his head to clear it of those thoughts and heard a knock at his door. "Come in it is open," he called. The door opened and in came Beka with Harper and Trance in tow. Trance looked as radiant as always and he couldn't help but admire her. She was just too beautiful. 

"What's up," Cadoris asked.

"Well what's up is that we don't like Elsabet and we were wondering what your first impression of her was," Beka cut straight to the point like she did when she wanted to know something.

Cadoris shrugged his shoulders and said, "Didn't really get a good first impression except that to me she seemed a little too proud to me. She treated everyone with indifference except Dylan which made me wonder. I don't know what happened when she was with you but there was something that happened between her and Dylan that much is plain to see."

"That is what I thought," Trance said in her beautiful voice. 

"Oh come on guys you are just jealous that she showed respect to Dylan and not to you. Of course me I think she is gorgeous and she is Nietchean so we can't expect her to show us too much respect," Harper said as he looked at the women and rolled his eyes.

"That's not it at all," Beka insisted. "She is just thinking that we are nothing but humans and so can treat us the way that she wants." 

"That could be but I can assure you Beka that she will not treat any of you badly in my presence. You are my friends and I will not tolerate it," Cadoris said coolly.

"You will tolerate it if you want to live human," said a rather large Niethchean as he stepped into the room. "You are just humans and are inferior to us. We can treat you the way that we want."

"You will apologize or you and I will have a rather unseemly disagreement that will leave one of us on the floor," Cadoris said as he spread his legs slightly into a fighting stance.

"I shall not apologize," the Nietchean said. 

"It is alright Cadoris," Beka said hurriedly hoping to avert a disaster.

"Beka is right we are not offended," Trance said and Cadoris relaxed slightly.

"Yeah listen to them human you don't want to fight me. But enough of this Her Highness wants you to join her for supper. I am to escort you to the dining room," he said as he started to walk down the room.

Trance and Harper started to follow him and Beka hung back and whispered angrily to Cadoris, "What are you trying to do. Do you want to get yourself killed. That is one of the best warriors that they have here. Don't you even think before you speak."

"I think and I act. I could have beat him because he was too cocky. He would have thought that his strength would have been his ally but it would have betrayed him. That and I will not let my friends be insulted no matter who it is," Cadoris said as he walked down the room checking his hidden knives to make sure that they were in place.

Beka fell in beside him and they walked in silence until they made it to the dining room. They saw that Dylan was already there and so was Elasabet who was sitting next to Dylan. Next to Elsabet at the head of the table was a Nietchean that Cadoris thought wasn't that impressive. He was short with short black hair. He had muscles that were starting to sag from lack of use and his eyes looked like they missed too many things that were important though Cadoris figured that the last was just a ruse.

"Friends have a seat," Elsabet said as she gestured to some seats that were empty at the table. There were not specific places to sit and so Cadoris chose the one farthest away from Elsabet and the other Nietchean. It was near the foot of the table and there were about three empty chairs between Cadoris and the next person who was Harper. 

"Wouldn't you rather sit closer to Trance Cadoris," Elsabet asked with a small smile playing about her lips. 

"This is just fine if it please you lady," Cadoris said. 

"That is fine by us if that is where you want to sit. You are our guest so you may sit where you want," the man at Elsabet's side said.

"Thank you sir," Cadoris said trying to be respectful though he really didn't want to be.

The meal was ate in silence for Cadoris for he didn't want to talk and had no wish to be spoken to. He wanted to just sit there and then leave when he was given leave to do so. The main meal was done when dessert came out. Cadoris looked at it smiled for it was a cake of some kind with a weird type of drink. A Nietchean woman sat it down in front of him and walked off. 

Cadoris watched as everyone was having fun and he thought that they were making themselves easy targets if there were assassins. He reached up and grabbed the drink and sipped it. It tasted funny like something that he hadn't tasted in an extremely long time. He swirled the drink around his mouth and swallowed. At about that time his nerves were on fire and his eyes started to water. 

Cadoris stood up abruptly and tossed his drink aside. He knew the taste now though and it wasn't like it used to taste which meant it had been distilled or something else had been added to it. It was cobra venom but he was sure that there was another poison added to it because normal cobra venom wouldn't have harmed him this bad.

"What is wrong," Elsabet asked with a hint of concern in her voice.

Cadoris couldn't see now through all tears streaming from his eyes. His heart was racing and his nerves were on fire. He was in so much pain he could barely choke out, "Poison in drink."

Cadoris fell forward onto the table and clutched his heart which was still beating too damn fast and he knew it. If it continued to beat so fast he was going to die bexuae his heart would burst from working so fast.

"Poison," the man at Elsabet's side roared to no one in particular.

Trance ran to Cadoris's side and held him as best as she could with him thrashing about. "What is wrong," she asked because she had no clue. She didn't have much experience with poison.

Cadoris said his voice hoarse, "Don't drink." As those words came out of his mouth he collapsed into unconsciousness. He couldn't fight the poison anymore and his body would have to fight it if he was to live. None of the others had a clue as to what the poison was and so they knew that they were going to have to study him in order to help him.


End file.
